Family Gesneriaceae comprises plant species mostly distributed in the tropics and subtropics of both the Old and New Worlds. Only a small number of species inhabits temperate regions. Among them, there are the only 5 species of this family in Europe: Ramonda myconi, endemic of the Iberian Peninusla, as well as R. nathaliae, R. serbica, Haberlea rhodopensis i Jankaea heldreichii, four endemic species of the Balkan Peninsula. All five species are Tertiary relicts, remnants from the times when the climate was much warmer and more humid. During the Ice Age, they have found shelter in canyons and gorges where can be often found today as well. These „living fossils“ are poikilohydric, „resurrection plants“ what helps them survive the inhospitable environmental conditions. Balkan species of the genus Ramonda are today characterized by disjunct distribution. Ramonda nathaliae is restricted to Macedonia, N Greece, slopes of Mt. Šara in Kosovo and few localities in SE Serbia. The largest part of the R. serbica range is situated in Albania, but is also present in NW Greece, W Macedonia, SW and NE Montenegro, SW, SE and NE Serbia and NE Bulgaria. The ranges of two species cooccur only in two localities in SE Serbia, Oblik and Radovanski Kamen, establishing sympatric populations. Both species prefer limestone rocks, but R. nathaliae can also be found on serpentine, schist and granite. This species is often found in more open habitats and in higher altitudes why it is considered as more resistant and tolerant than R. serbica. The aims of this study are: to investigate morphology of both pollen and seeds of three Ramonda species; to estimate pollen viability and germination capacity of their seeds; to determine chromosome numbers and genome size of three species; to explore if there are hybrids in sympatric populations; to look into genetic diversity and phylogeography of R. nathaliae and R. serbica. Pollen grains and seeds were examined by light and scanning electron microscopy, chromosome number by standard karyological techniques, genome size was estimated by flow cytometry and genetic diversity by molecular AFLP method. Ramonda myconi and R. nathaliae are diploids with 2n = 48, while R. serbica is a hexaploid with 2n = 144 chromosomes. Few individuals with larger chromosome numbers were detected in one population (2n = 8x = 192 and 2n = 10x = ~230). Average genome size in R. myconi is 2C = 2.55 pg, R. nathaliae 2C = 2.34 pg and R. serbica 2C = 7.85 pg, while rare decaploids of this last species have 2C = 11.65 pg. Monoploid genome sizes of R. myconi (1Cx = 1.27 pg) and R. serbica (1Cx = 1.31 pg) are similar, while this parameter has a lower value in R. nathaliae (1Cx = 1.17 pg). Pollen grains of three Ramonda species are small, 3-colporate, mostly spheroidal in shape. They are of similar size in diploid species (R. myconi E = 12.57 µm; R. nathaliae E = 15.19 µm), while R. serbica, as a hexaploid with larger genome size, has larger pollen grains as well (E = 19,80 µm). Exine ornamentation is microreticulateperforate, in R. nathaliae more perforate, in R. serbica with larger lumens with more perforations, while R. myconi exine ornamentation characteristics are intermediary between two Balkan relatives. Seeds are small, elongated, 814.47 µm long and 217.77 µm wide in R. myconi, 639.23 µm long and 228.09 µm wide in R. nathaliae and with 714.36 µm average length and 254.84 µm width in R. serbica. There are auriculate structures on the seed surface, most pronounced in R. myconi (46 – 87 µm high), little bit smaller in R. serbica (32 – 44 µm) and least high in R. nathaliae (21 – 30 µm). Their possible role is better surface adhesion. Seed mass is moderately correlated to genome size and chromosome number. While size of pollen grains and seeds are not good characters for differentiation of three Ramonda species, differences in fine pollen exine and seed surface ornamentations can be used for this purpose. Natural hybrids between R. nathaliae and R. serbica are found in the scope of extensive research performed in sympatric populations. Hybrid individuals are tetraploid with 2n = 96 chromosomes and average genome size of 2C = 5.14 pg. Small number of individuals could be penta (2C = 6.19 pg) or octoploids (2C = 10.04 pg) on the basis of their 2C-values. Pollen from hybrids is very heterogeneous in number of colpi (3-, 9- and 12-colporate) and the size of the grains. Seeds are very small, 2-3 times smaller than those from parental species and germinate weekly (c. 1%). These results reveal complex processes of hybridisation between two relict species, introgression and genome duplications. Population of R. nathaliae from serpentine substrate is ecologically very interesting. Plants have smaller rosettes, smallest pollen grains with thin exine and lower viability, smallest seeds and even smallest genome size among investigated populations of this species. AFLP analysis of genetic population structure confirmed clear taxonomic differentiation of R. nathaliae and R. serbica. As endemics without self-fertilisation, but with vegetative reproduction present, they are characterized by small genetic diversity. Expected heterozygosity (H) ranges from 0.062 to 0.128 in R. nathaliae populations and from 0.087 to 0.140 in R. serbica. Variability within populations (R. nathaliae 72%, R. serbica 86%) is higher than among populations (R. nathaliae 28%, R. serbica 14%). Genetic distances and fixation indices are higher among R. nathaliae populations suggesting that this is an older species whose populations are separated for a longer period of time. Today’s genetic population diversity of these relic and endemic species from the Balkan Peninsula reflects the influences of the Ice Age, but of more recent conditions in their habitats as well. Both species had several refugia where they survived harsh conditions during glaciations. They began spreading from there after climate warming, so newly established populations have lower genetic diversity because of the founder and bottleneck effects. They can be more sensitive to environmental stress and therefore must be adequately protected. Familija Gesneriaceae obuhvata biljne vrste pretežno rasprostranjene u tropskim u subtropskim oblastima Starog i Novog sveta. Samo mali broj vrsta naseljava umerene oblasti, a među njima je i jedinih 5 vrsta ove familije u Evropi: Ramonda myconi, endemit Pirinejskog poluostrva, kao i R. nathaliae, R. serbica, Haberlea rhodopensis i Jankaea heldreichii, četiri endemične vrste Balkanskog poluostrva. Svih pet vrsta su relikti Tercijera, vremena kada je klima u Evropi bila toplija i vlažnija. Za vreme Ledenog doba, one su našle skrovište u klisurama i kanjonima gde ih najčešće nalazimo i danas. Ovi „živi fosili“ danas nepovoljne uticaje spoljašnje sredine u velikoj meri preživljavaju zahvaljujući poikilohidričnosti, pa se još nazivaju i „biljke koje vaskrsavaju“. Danas se dve balkanske vrste roda Ramonda odlikuju disjunktnim arealima. Ramonda nathaliae zastupljena je u Makedoniji, S Grčkoj, na obroncima planine Šare na Kosovu i u JI Srbiji. Najveći deo areala vrste R. serbica nalazi se u Albaniji, a prisutna je i na SZ Grčke, u Z Makedoniji, JZ i SI Crnoj Gori, JZ, JI i SI Srbiji, kao i na SZ Bugarske. Jedina zona u kojoj se areali dve vrste susreću nalazi se u JI Srbiji, gde na dva lokaliteta, Oblik i Radovanski Kamen, obrazuju simpatrijske populacije. Obe vrste prevashodno naseljavaju krečnjačku podlogu, s tim što se R. nathaliae može naći i na serpentinitu, škriljcima i granitu. Ova vrsta, takođe, bolje podnosi otvorenija staništa, a njene populacije se mogu naći i na većem rasponu nadmorskih visina, zbog čega se smatra otpornijom i tolerantijom. Ciljevi ovog rada su višestruki: da se utvrde morfološke osobine polena i semena sve tri vrste roda Ramonda, jer detalji njihove građe do sada nisu istraživani; da se procene vijabilnost njihovog polena i klijavost semena; da se utvrdi broj hromozoma, kao i veličina genoma kod tri vrste; da se proveri da li postoje hibridne jedinke u simpatrijskim populacijama; da se pomoću molekularnih markera utvrdi stepen sličnosti i filogeografske veze između vrsta R. nathaliae i R. serbica. U tu svrhu, polen i seme analizirani su pomoću svetlosnog i scanning elektronskog mikroskopa, broj hromozoma određen je standardnim kariološkim tehnikama, veličina genoma procenjena je pomoću protočne citometrije, a genetički diverzitet primenom molekularne AFLP tehnike. Ramonda myconi i R. nathaliae su diploidi sa 2n = 48, dok je R. serbica heksaploid sa 2n = 144 hromozoma. U jednoj populaciji ustanovljeno je i postojanje nekoliko individua sa većim brojem hromozoma (2n = 8x = 192 i 2n = 10x = ~230). Prosečna veličina genoma kod R. myconi je 2C = 2,55 pg, R. nathaliae 2C = 2,34 pg i R. serbica 2C = 7,85 pg, s tim što retki dekaploidi ove vrste imaju 2C = 11,65 pg. Monoploidne veličine genoma R. myconi (1Cx = 1,27 pg) i R. serbica (1Cx = 1,31 pg) su slične, dok R. nathaliae ima manju vrednost ovog parametra (1Cx = 1,17 pg). Polenova zrna sve tri vrste su mala, 3–kolporatna, uglavnom sferoidnog oblika. Kod diploidnih vrsta su slične veličine (R. myconi E = 12,57 µm; R. nathaliae E = 15,19 µm), dok su kod heksaploidne R. serbica veća (E = 19,80 µm) u skladu sa većom veličinom genoma. Egzina je mikroretikularno-perforatna, kod R. nathaliae više perforatna, kod R. serbica sa krupnim lumenima unutar kojih je veliki broj perforacija, dok je kod R. myconi intermedijarna između dve balkanske rođake. Semena su sitna, izduženog oblika, kod R. myconi u proseku duga 814,47 µm i široka 217,77 µm, kod R. nathaliae duga 639,23 µm, a široka 228,09 µm i kod R. serbica prosečne dužine 714,36 µm i širine 254,84 µm. Na površini semena uočljive su trouglaste strukture najupadljivije kod R. myconi (visine 46 – 87 µm), nešto manje kod R. serbica (32 – 44 µm), a najmanje kod R. nathaliae (21 – 30 µm), čija je moguća uloga bolje pričvršćivanje za podlogu. Masa semena je umeren