Abstract: Pollen grains of nine species, three varieties and one form variation of the genus Kalimeris (Compositae) have been examined under light microscope (LM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). All the species examined are characterized in having sub-globular pollen grains and tripartite global pollen grains on AMB. The size of the pollen grains ranges from 20.4 μm to 32.3 μm in the polar axis and from 20.4 μm to 34.6 μm in the longest equatorial axis. The ornamentation of the exine are splinter-shaped under SEM. The pollen grains are diverse in the size and the ornamentation of the exine, these differences can be taken as the base of identification. Kalimeris indica var. polymorpha has special ornamentation of the exine and can be elevated to the specifical level. Kalimeris shimadai f. pinnatifida is regarded as conspecies with Kalimeris pinnatifida based on the characters of leaves and pollen grains. Aster procerus and Aster smithianus are transferred to Kalimeris based on the characters of pollen grains and morphology, which gives support Hu Xiuying's taxonomic treatment.

Key words: Compositae, Kalimaris, Pollen morphology, Classification