Wafaa K. Taia’s research while affiliated with Alexandria University and other places

Mature flower buds were collected from twenty species planted on the different roads in the Giza district from May to September 2022 and 2023. The pollen grains were examined carefully and photographed using a 40x10x magnification lens in an OPTICA (B-150D) light microscope fitted with a USB digital video Camera and Computer Software. At least 30 pollen grains/each species were measured and described. Non-catalyzed pollens were sputtered onto Aluminum stubs, coated with 30 nm gold, and examined and photographed using JEOL JSL IT 200 SEM. The morphological characters of the pollen grains were examined. According to the pollen size Acalypha wilkesiana and Tecoma stans were the smallest pollen grains, from 20.0μm to 26.0μm, which facilitate their introduction to the nose causing asthma and rhinitis. Clerodendrum inerme pollen grains have echinate exine surface, which causes allergic symptoms more than the psilate ones. Plumbago capensis has intectate exine with echinate columella causing human disorders. This study demonstrates the critical position of air pollution in this area with the change in the phenological aspects of the plants resulting in producing immature pollen grains in huge amounts, which cause human disorders and pollinosis. Our results showed that the studied species can induce allergy in one way or another if we consider the situation of the studied area, weather pattern, and pollen characteristics.

Eleven Terminalia species growing in streets and gardens in Cairo (Egypt) were investigated for their pollen morphology. The study's objectives were to explore the variation among Terminalia species' pollen pheno-characters and to categorize the various species within this genus according to these pollen characteristics. The results showed that there are significant variations in the pollen morphological characteristics in the genus under study, and as a result, these traits can be regarded as eurypalynous. Each of the two main categories of Terminalia species - mono-morphic and di-morphic - includes various pollen morphologies, ranging from spheroidal to prolate with hexa-aperture that may be similar or of two types. For each of the eleven species, an identification key and a clustering phenogram for the fifteen major pollen features have been created. The aperture type, aperture similarity, and exine ornamentation are some of the crucial traits for the differentiation of the species examined while the pollen shape class has a poor diagnostic character. According to the unique characteristics of the pollen morphology of the Terminalia species, three groups and two subgroups were identified.

Cressa cretica L. is a monotypic species belongs to the plant family Convolvulaceae, tribe Cresseae. It is an erect, small, dwarf shrub, commonly grown in coastal areas and considered as an important medicinal plant with many therapeutic effects. Individuals of this species became restricted in specific areas in Egypt in became under threat of extinction. This study dealt with careful examination of the external and leaf internal structure beside pollen grain morphology. The study aims to understand the species morphological characteristics and protect it from localization and destruction processes. The results showed that the leaf macro- and micro-morphological characters are of the halophytic ones, with long unicellular hairs as well as T-shaped hairs and sunken stomata. The leaf internal structure has mesophyll differentiated into one layer palisade and spongy layers full of ca-oxalate crystals and salt glands distributed in the mesophyll. Pollen grains productivity was few and they are small, spheroidal to subprolate with tricolporate aperture and tectate perforate with supra-tectum granules. The results obtained show that Cressa cretica has external and internal halophytic structure in addition to few small pollen grains. Germination experiments needed to test the pollen productivity of this plant under non-saline habitats for its conservation.