AOBPreview published online on January 26, 2004
Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mch044
© 2004 by Annals of Botany Company
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Submitted on April 16, 2003
Affiliation of the authors:
1 Key Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Environmental Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093 Beijing, China; College of Bioengineering, Fujian Normal University, 350007 Fuzhou, China;
2 College of Bioengineering, Fujian Normal University, 350007 Fuzhou, China;
3 Key Laboratory of Photosynthesis and Environmental Molecular Physiology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093 Beijing, China
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: linjx{at}ns.ibcas.ac.cn.
• Background and Aims Leymus chinensis is an economically and ecologically important grass that is widely distributed across eastern areas of the Eurasian steppe. A major problem facing its propagation by man is its low sexual reproductivity. The causes of low fecundity are uncertain, largely because many aspects of the reproductive biology of this species remained unknown or incomplete. This study aims to address some of these issues. • Methods Pollen dispersion, pollen viability, pollen longevity and pistil receptivity were studied in a representative, natural population of L. chinensis growing in Inner Mongolia. • Key Results Flowering of L. chinensis occurred at the end of June and lasted for 5 d. Pollination peaked between 1600 h and 1700 h, and about 56·1 % of the total pollen grains were released at this time. Pollen density was highest towards the middle of flowering spikes and lowest at the bottom over the 5 d measurement period. Pollen viability (62·4 %) assessed using TTC was more accurate than using IKI (85·6 %); 50 % of pollen arriving on stigmas germinated. Pollen remained viable for only 3 h and the pollen : ovule ratio was 79 333 : 1. Pistil receptivity lasted for only 3 h and, overall, 86·7 % of pistils were pollinated. Within the spike, the relative fecundity of different positions was middle > lower > upper throughout the period of pollination; daily variation of fecundity was similar to that of the pollen flow. The spikes that opened on the day of highest pollen density exhibited the highest fecundity (36·0 %). No seeds were produced by self-pollination. • Conclusions The data suggest that low pollen viability, short pollen longevity and short pistil receptivity all appear to contribute to the low seed production typical of this important forage crop.
Revised on September 10, 2003
Accepted on December 3, 2003
Pollen Dispersion, Pollen Viability and Pistil Receptivity in Leymus chinensis
ZEHAO HUANG1,
Key words: Leymus chinensis, pollen dispersion, pollen viability, pistil receptivity, fecundity, laser scanning confocal microscopy.
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