Open AccessPollination biology of Paeonia jishanensis T. Hong & W.Z. Zhao (Paeoniaceae), with special emphasis on pollen and stigma biology
Author(s) -
ZHOU SHILIANG,
HONG DEYUAN,
PAN KAIYU
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
botanical journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.872
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1095-8339
pISSN - 0024-4074
DOI - 10.1111/j.1095-8339.1999.tb00781.x
Subject(s) - pollen , biology , pollination , gynoecium , botany , pollen tube , ovary , paeonia suffruticosa , germination , stigma (botany) , self pollination , horticulture , stamen , endocrinology
The endangered wild tree peony. Paeania jishanensis T. Hong & W. Z. Zhao (formerly P. suffruticosa Andr. ssp. spontanea (Rehd.) S.G. Haw & L. A. Lauener) is one of the most important ancestral stocks of cultivated tree peony, P. suffruticosa Andr. Study of the natural population atjishan, Shanxi Province revealed that the seed set was very low (2.1 seeds per carpel). The low seed set should not be attributed to viable pollen limitation because the plant produces a great quantity of pollen and 36–75% of pollen is TTC‐tested viable. Stigmas became receptive almost one day after the flower opened, and receptivity lasted for several days. All the stigmas were sufficiently pollinated, and pollen germinated readily on the wet crest of stigmas irrespective of whether cross pollen or self pollen was used. Hand‐pollination showed that this plant was self‐incompatible. No seed was harvested after self‐pollination, while cross‐pollination yielded 2.4 seeds per carpel. Many pollen tubes were recorded in the stigma but extremely few in the ovary chamber. This phenomenon indicated diat the self‐incompatible system was activated when pollen tubes reached the ovary wall.