Summary
Pollen size and pistil length data have been collected for 93 species of Rhododendron (Ericaceae) belonging to a number of different subgeneric taxa. For a sample of eight species in section Vireya, pollen tube growth in the style after selfor interspecific pollination has been quantified. Pollen volume and the time taken for pollen tubes to reach the ovary were both related to pistil length. Pollen-tube growth rates were generally greater for species with longer pistils and larger pollen. Increasing temperature increased the rate of pollen-tube growth. There was no detectable effect of pollen tube density on tube growth rate in the style. After interspecific pollinations tube growth rates in foreign styles could be faster or slower than in self styles. A semisterile individual with two viable pollen grains per tetrad and a plant grafted as scion to a longer-styled stock both showed more rapid pollen-tube growth than expected on the basis of pistil size. Data collected for 26 species in section Vireya showed that where extreme disparity of pollen/pistil size causes failure of interspecific crosses, one or more bridging species with intermediate pollen/pistil size can generally be selected.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Cruzan MB (1986) Pollen tube distributions in Nicotiana glauca: evidence for density dependent growth. Am J Bot 73:902–907
Hogenboom NG (1975) Incompatibility and incongruity: two different mechanisms for the non-functioning of intimate partner relationships. Proc R Soc London Ser B 188:361–375
Kaul V, Rouse JL, Williams EG (1986) Early events in the embryo sac following intra- and inter-specific pollinations in Rhododendron kawakamii and R. retusum. Can J Bot 64:282–291
Kaul V, Theunis CH, Palser BF, Knox RB, Williams EG (1987) Association of the generative cell and vegetative nucleus in pollen tubes of Rhododendron. Ann Bot (London) 59:227–235
Kivilaan A, Chang CW (1963) Effect of grafting on the incompatibility response of Oenothera organensis. Nature 197:1130–1131
Knox RB (1984) Pollen-pistil interactions. In: Linskens HF, Heslop-Harrison J (eds) Cellular interactions. (Encyclopedia of plant physiology, NS, vol 17) Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 508–608
Labarca C, Loewus F (1972) The nutritional role of pistil exudate in pollen tube wall formation in Lilium longiflorum. I. Utilization of injected stigmatic exudate. Plant Physiol 50:7–14
Labarca C, Loewus F (1973) The nutritional role of pistil exudate in pollen tube wall formation in Lilium longiflorum. II. Production and utilization of exudate from stigma and stylar canal. Plant Physiol 52:87–92
Malti D, Shivanna KR (1985) The role of the pistil in screening compatible pollen. Theor Appl Genet 70:684–686
Nirk H (1959) Interspecific hybrids of Lycopersicon. Nature 184:1819–1820
Palser BF, Rouse JL, Williams EG (1989) Coordinated timetables for megagametophyte development and pollen tube growth in Rhododendron nuttallii from anthesis to early post-fertilization. Am J Bot 76:1167–1202
Perez S, Moore JN (1985) Prezygotic endogenous barriers to interspecific hybridization in Prunus. J Am Soc Hortic Sci 110:267–273
Rouse JL (1984) Pollen storage and Rhododendron breeding. In: Williams EG, Knox RB (eds) “Pollination '84”. School of Botany, University of Melbourne, pp 185–186
Süss J, Tupý J (1976) On the nature of RNA synthesized in pollen tubes of Nicotiana alata. Biol Plant 18:140–146
Tupý J, Süss J, Rihova L (1986) RNA synthesis and ribosome status in pollen tube growth of Nicotiana tabacum L.: effects of external pH. J Plant Physiol 123:467–476
Williams EG, Rouse JL (1988) Disparate style lengths contribute to isolation of species in Rhododendron. Aust J Bot 36:183–191
Williams EG, Knox RB, Rouse JL (1982) Pollination sub-systems distinguished by pollen tube arrest after incompatible interspecific crosses in Rhododendron (Ericaceae). J Cell Sci 53:255–277
Williams EG, Rouse JL, Knox RB (1985) Barriers to sexual compatibility in Rhododendron. Notes R Bot Gard Edinburgh 43:81–98
Williams EG, Kaul V, Rouse JL, Palser BF (1986) Overgrowth of pollen tubes in embryo sacs of Rhododendron following interspecific pollinations. Aust J Bot 34:413–423
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Williams, E.G., Rouse, J.L. Relationships of pollen size, pistil length and pollen tube growth rates in Rhododendron and their influence on hybridization. Sexual Plant Reprod 3, 7–17 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00189946
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00189946