Pollen morphology of 103 species belonging to twenty-three subsections of seven sections
of Rubus L. was examined with SEM. The pollen grains are usually 3-colporate, spheroidal, sub-
spheroidal, prolate and perprolate, though occasionally rhombic and hexagonal, 16.0~38.0 μm ×
12.0~30.0 μum in size. The exine ornamentation can be divided into rugulate, striate, cerebroid
and perforate-reticulate types, which include 11 subtypes: rugulate-subpsilate, rugulate-striate, rug-
ulate-perforate, striate, striate-perforate, striate-reticulate, cerebroid, cerebroid-perforate, perforate, perforate-reticulate and reticulate. The pollen morphology is of some significance for a better
classification of the genus Rubus, but seems to be of little help for a better understanding of the
phylogeny of the genus.
