Analysis and Conclusion

Updated Phylogenetic Tree Based With Additional Sequences

Original Tree Based on Protein Sequences

We think that the two non-fruit bearing flowers are more closely related to each other than to the Capiscum anuum. Both the lily and the alstroemeria pollen grains are monocolpate,  and are oblong, while the christmas pepper pollen is not. This also indicates a closer relationship between the alstroemeria and the lily.

Our hypothesis was not correct.  The larger the anther does not mean the larger the pollen grain and vice versa. The size of the anther does not correlate with the size of the pollen grain.  The Lily, which has the largest anther (13mm x 1.5mm) does not have the largest pollen grain.  The Lily pollen grain measures 117 micro meters at 2000 x on the electron microscope. However, the Alstroemeria has the second largest anther (2.5mmx 3.5mm) but has the largest pollen grain size.  The Alstroemeria pollen grain measure at 761 micro meters in length on the electron microscope at 2000x.  The Alstroemeria pollen grain is more than seven times the size of the Lily pollen grain, which comes from the largest anther.  The Christmas Pepper does have the smallest anther and the smallest pollen grain.  The Christmas Pepper pollen grain measures at 37.4 micro meters at 2000 x on the electron microscope.  The Christmas Pepper pollen grain and anther do hold true to our hypothesis, however, the Lily and Alstroemeria anther and pollen size relationship do not follow our hypothesis. 
An error that could have occurred during our experiment, altering the results of our experiment, is cross contamination.  As  a team we should have been more careful about keeping the pollen samples separate from on another.  We were not precise enough when putting the pollen onto the tab to go into the SEM microscope.  Some of the Lily pollen could have gotten in the area marked for Alstroemeria pollen, leading the Alstroemeria to have the largest pollen grain.