Abstract: The pollen morphology of 9 species of Paeonia L. has been investigated with both light microscope and scanning electron microscope. In addition, the exine structure of pollen grains of Paeonia suffruticosa and P. lactiflora was examined by transmission electron microscope. Tricolporoidate aperture is an important character of the pollen grains of the Paeonia. The surface of the exine is characterized by reticulate, foveolate and irregularly tuberculate-foveolate sculpture under the SEM. Thin sections of the pollen of this genus shows that the layers of exine are complete i.e. a perforate rectum to semitectum, columellae and foot layers. The endexine is continuous, considerably thickened in the aperture areas and relatively thin or indistinct in the mesocolpia. Paeonia has been placed in Ranunculaceae. But since the beginning of this century many authors have suggested to separating Paeonia from Ranunculaceae. Pollen marphology supports such separation. In Ranunculaceae most pollen grains are tricolpate or have other types of aperture, and exine with spinules and perforations between them. In electron microscopy, the ektexine contains a foot layer, columellae, and perforate rectum, the columellar layer with two types of columellae; the endexine is generally thin. However, the columellar layer of Paeonia has only monomorphic columellae. Some authors considered that there is a close relationship between Paeonia and the Dilleniaceae, but these also differ in the characters of the pollen grains. In Paeonia the constriction of the colpus in equator is in some degree similar to that of Theaceae (Camellia sasanqua Thunb.), Guttiferae (Hypericum L.), Actinidiaceae and Rosaceae. But in the other respects they are quite different. In sum, the pollen morphology of Paeonia is unique. So the palynological information supports Takhtajan's view that Paeonia should be elevated to a family (Paeoniaceae) or order (Paeoniales).

Key words: Paeonia, pollen morphology, exine, ultrastructure