Premium
Multiple Embryo Sacs in Sexual Buffelgrass Treated with Ammonium Sulfate
Author(s) -
Gounaris I.,
Gustine D. L.,
Sherwood R. T.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1990.0011183x003000060037x
Subject(s) - gynoecium , biology , ovule , apomixis , embryo , cenchrus ciliaris , inflorescence , polygonum , botany , human fertilization , anatomy , genetics , ploidy , gene , pollen , stamen , ecology
Ovules of sexual genotypes of buffelgrass, Cenchrus ciliaris L., form a single meiotically reduced embryo sac of the polygonum type. In contrast, apomictic lines develop one to several unreduced aposporic sacs which lack antipodals. Seeking chemical means to manipulate embryo sac formation, we watered sexual plants, bearing premeiotic inflorescences, with 1 M (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 solution every 2nd d for 1 to 2 wk. Among 493 pistils sampled from treated plants, (i) 190 pistils showed protrusion of the embryo sac through the micropyle, (ii) many protruding and eight nonprotruding sacs lacked antipodals, (iii) 72 pistils were sterile, and (iv) 27 pistils formed two or three embryo sacs, sometimes without antipodals. Normal polygonum‐type embryo sacs formed in 145 treated pistils and in untreated controls.