Diversity in the grass pistil and its taxonomic significance

Abstract

Grass pistils show a great deal of diversity. Variations occur in the number of stigmatic branches, the point at which the styles diverge, the extent of development of hairs on the stigma and ovary, style colour and exsertion from the floret. ANOVA, contigency analysis and regression analysis showed that in the grasses of south-eastern Queensland, these attributes are related at various levels to the taxonomy of the grasses, and are, therefore, potentially useful in grass systematics. A system of 11 categories of pistils is proposed and illustrated.