This study provides a comprehensive pollen micromorphology within the Nepeta genus, revealing intricate details about the pollen grains' structure and characteristics. The findings shed light on the evolutionary and taxonomical aspects of this plant genus, offering valuable insights for botanists and researchers studying Nepeta species. The pollen grains of 18 Nepeta species were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and light microscopy (LM) in Northern Pakistan. At the microscale, pollen quantitative measurements, qualitative traits, and diverse sculpturing patterns were reported and compared. Significant differences in pollen size, shape, ornamentation, and sculpturing patterns were discovered among the Nepeta species. Our data show that exine sculpturing is quite diverse, with most species exhibiting a reticulate perforate pollen pattern. Nepeta connata, Nepeta discolor, Nepeta elliptica, revealed a distinct bireticulate perforate exine stratification. Hexazonocolpate pollen is the most common. Furthermore, the surface membrane attributes of the colpus varied greatly, ranging from rough, scabrate, psilate, to sinuate patterns. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to discover the key factors influencing pollen diversity. PCA results showed that polar and equatorial diameters, colpi size, and exine thickness were the most influential pollen features between Nepeta species. This study adds to our understanding of pollen morphology in the Nepeta genus, offering information on the vast range of characteristics found in this economically important group. The extensive characterization of pollen features provides useful insights for the categorization and differentiation of Nepeta species, adding to the Lamiaceae micromorphology.

这项研究提供了荆芥属内全面的花粉微形态学，揭示了花粉粒结构和特征的复杂细节。这些发现揭示了该植物属的进化和分类学方面，为植物学家和研究荆芥物种的研究人员提供了宝贵的见解。使用扫描电子显微镜 (SEM) 和光学显微镜 (LM) 在巴基斯坦北部研究了 18 种荆芥物种的花粉粒。在微观尺度上，报告并比较了花粉的数量测量、质量特征和不同的雕刻模式。人们发现荆芥物种之间的花粉大小、形状、装饰和雕刻图案存在显着差异。我们的数据表明，外壁雕刻相当多样化，大多数物种表现出网状穿孔花粉模式。荆芥、变色荆芥、椭圆荆芥显示出明显的双网状穿孔外壁分层。Hexazonocolpate 花粉是最常见的。此外，阴道沟的表面膜属性差异很大，从粗糙、粗糙、菱形到波状图案。主成分分析（PCA）用于发现影响花粉多样性的关键因素。PCA 结果表明，极地和赤道直径、科尔皮大小和外壁厚度是荆芥物种之间最有影响力的花粉特征。这项研究增加了我们对荆芥属花粉形态的理解，提供了有关在这个经济上重要的群体中发现的广泛特征的信息。花粉特征的广泛表征为荆芥物种的分类和分化提供了有用的见解，增加了唇形科的微形态学。