Contributions to the pollen flora of high-Andean cushion peatlands, Jujuy Province, Northwestern Argentina

Abstract

The descriptions of 15 pollen types, new for the high-Andean pollen flora, distributed in 12 families, are presented, with a key
for their identification. They belong to the current flora of cushion peatlands’ plants communities. The aim of these studies
is to contribute to the knowledge of pollen of high Andean peatland ecosystems, in order to optimize the identification of
pollen types conserved in quaternary fossil records in Northwestern Argentina (NOA). The following species are described:
Apiaceae: Lilaeopsis macloviana, Asteraceae: Cuatrecasasiella argentina, Perezia pygmaea, Brassicaceae: Eudema friesii,
Cyperaceae: Carex gayana, Zameioscirpus muticus, Fabaceae: Astragalus micranthellus, Gentianaceae: Gentianella
meyeniana, Juncaceae: Distichia muscoides, Orobanchaceae: Bartsia crenoloba, Castilleja pumila, Plantaginaceae:
Plantago tubulosa, Poaceae: Puccinellia frigida, Portulacaceae: Calandrinia compacta, Ranunculaceae: Halerpestes
exilis.