Here we discuss melittopalynology and palynology, quantitative methods, and examples from field studies. The relatively large number of undescribed tropical plant species, 15–50% of the endemic species or even in the family as a whole, produces taxonomic difficulties using barcoding molecular approaches. We emphasize the necessity of studying palynomorphs using the light microscope, particularly to define a genus or “pollen type” as a means for analysis. Classic techniques and a unified lexicon are important, as is development of refined techniques for studying bee-collected pollen.
