ObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the morphological characteristics of pollen from nine hygrophyte species at Sevenstar Lake area in the Bashang Area （the southern edge of Inner Mongolian Plateau） of Hebei Province, as well as their ecological significance. MethodThe pollen morphology of nine hygrophyte species distributed at Seven Star Lake area was observed and studied by using an optical microscope, and morphological characteristics like size, shape, surface ornamentation were recorded. ResultsPollen grains were globose, subglobose prolate spheroidal; germination aperture had five types, namely, 3-groove, 6-groove, 3 （4）-groove, 3-colporate, 3 （4）-colporate; ektexine possessed four kinds of ornamentation： reticulate, striped, spiny, granular. Meanwhile, the environmental indication significance of these nine hygrophyte species was also discussed according to their habitats, origin and distribution. ConclusionThe study provides the basis of modern palynology for the study of ancient environment, ancient vegetation and paleoclimate.
[Objective] This study aimed to investigate the pollen morphology of nine major crops in Bashang Plateau of Hebei Province. [Method] By using an optical microscope, pollen morphology of nine major crops in Bashang Plateau of Hebei Province was observed and compared. [Result] Pollen grains were spherical, nearly spherical or prolate; pollen grains of Cucurbita pepo were the largest, and those of Brassica campestris were the smallest; P/E value of Vicia faba was the maximum of 1.77, and that of Avena chinsis was the minimum of 1.00; there were six types of germinal apertures, including single-aperture, scattered-aperture, 3-aperture, 3-groove, 3-colporate and 3-4-colporate; there were four types of exine ornamentation, including reticulate ornamentation, warty ornamentation, spinulose ornamentation and granular ornamentation. [Conclusion] This study not only provided standard maps and related information for the identification of crop pollens in different strata, but also provided modern palynological evidence for extracting information of synarthropic plants （cultivated crops mostly） in different strata, deducing the natural environment ancient human lived in, and understanding the relationship between human and environmental changes.
