Pollen morphological studies of 10 species and 3 varieties of Melanoseris Decne. (Cichorieae-Asteraceae) were conducted from Pakistan and Kashmir. Pollen were studied by using Light microscope, Fluorescent microscope and Scanning Electron Microscope. Pollen of seven taxa were examined for the first time including four endemic species to the study area. Pollen grains are usually isopolar, spheroidal to oblate-spheroidal, elliptic to rarely circular in equatorial view, hexagonal in polar view, trizonocolporate and echinolophate with 15 lacunae. Significant variation has been found mainly in the size of pollen, number of echinae and sculpturing of the polar area. Agglomerative cluster analysis based on the 14 pollen morphological characters, showed that diameter of polar and equatorial axis, pollen size and polar axis were the most valuable variables in explaining total variation and separating the studied taxa. All the examined taxa were grouped into two distinct pollen-types viz., Melanoseris alii – type and Melanoseris stewartii – type. Keys to the pollen types and species of each pollen type are provided. The correlation between the results of recent phylogenetic studies and the present palynological results are discussed.

Cypsela macro and micromorphological features of 28 taxa belonging to 7 genera namely Saussurea DC. s.str., Lipschitziella Kamelin , Himalaiella Raab-Straube, Dolomiaea DC, Aucklandia Falconer, Frolovia (DC.) Lipsch. and Shangwua Yu J. Wang of the tribe Cardueae (Asteraceae) were studied through light and scanning electron microscope to assess their taxonomic significance. Various cypsela features like pappus series, cypsela shape and surface patterns were found most significant characters for the taxonomic delimitation of Saussurea (s.l.). The genus Saussurea s.str. was delined from its allied genera by having biseriate pappus. While, in remaining genera pappus were either uniseriate or multiseriate and among these genera, Dolomiaea was characterized due to multiseriate pappus. While, remaining genera such as, Lipschitziella, Himalaiella, Aucklandia, Shangwa and Frolovia had uniseriate pappus. Furthermore, these genera could be delimited on the basis of cypsela shape and surface patterns. Similar to the generic delimitation, cypsela micro and macromorphological characters were also found to be useful for specific delimitation within studied genera. Most of the cypsela morphological variables when analyzed numerically, also proved the taxonomic affiliation within all the taxa of the genus Saussurea and its allied genera. Similarly, these cypsela features could be well correlated with the gross morphological and molecular decisions at generic and partially for specific delimitation of Saussurea (s.l.) from Pakistan and Kashmir.