The concept of natural grouping of plant designated as the "Amentiferous" is no longer given serious credence, and many of the families included in this grouping have been dispersed in diverse order. Because a review of taxonomic treatments of amentiferous taxa reveals diverse classifiactions, it has become necessary to investigate new characteristics and attempt to determine the significance of these characteristics in terms of amentiferous taxonomy.
Protein analyses by isoelectrofocusing (IEF) and rocket immunoelectrophoresis (RIE) have proved to be useful in the delimitation of Quercus taxa using pollen extracts from selected taxa.
When Quercus pollen extracts were separated by electrophoresis based on their isoelectic points in a stable pH gradient and substrates for estrase activity were stained, ten bands were revealed between pH 5-14. Within Lepidobalanus grouping, a great diversity in the pollen protein zymograms was observed with some segregation corresponding to the designated taxonomic sections. Two taxa of Cyclobalanopsis produced a zymogram that is somewhat similar to taxa including within the section Prinus of Lepidobalanus, and less similar to taxa within the section Cerris of the same subgenus. Three tested taxa of the Cerris are in the similar zymogram each other, being segregable from the taxa of Prinus.
Quantitative and qualitative analyses for serological relationships within and among the Quercus were also employed. The calculate the degree of protein similarity, total rocket heights obtained from RIE provided an index of serological correspondence(SC). It is reconfirmed that the Quercus is distantly separated from the Fagus according to SC. Comparative data from rocket number and SC in the tested taxa of Quercus also indicate that Lepidobalanus is separable from Cyclobalanopsis. Within the Lepidobalanus Q. acutissima and Q. acutissima x vatiabilis are almost homogeneous and distinguishable from the other tested taxa of same subgenus.
Although the number of taxa tested has been limited, the overall serological evidence best reflects the classification proposed by Redher (1940) and Melchior (1964), having the genus Quercus subdivided into three subgunera: Erythrobalanus, Lepidobalanus, and Cyclobalanopsis.
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