Study on Microsporogenesis and Development of Male Gametophyte in Cardiocrinum giganteum

The microsporogenesis and development of male gametophyte in Cardiocrinum giganteum were observed by the means of conventional paraffin sections and norm slice-making method.The results show that the anther has four chambers and the structure of anther wall is the monocotyledonous type,which is composed of epidermis,endothecium,middle layer and glandular tapetum,some cells of the endothecium become fibrously thickened at anther dehiscence.The cytokinesis of microspore mother cell meiosis is successive,and the tetrads are isobilatera1,occasionally tetrahedral.The mature pollen grains are the bicellular type with one germ-pore.The TTC stain test showed the average vitality rate of mature pollen grains was 86.3%.The microsporogenesis and the male gemetophyte development are normal on the whole,producing a great number of normal pollen grains.