Observation on the Self-incompatibility of Pollen Tubes in Self-pollination of Tea Plant in Style in vivo

Germination of pollens and growth of pollen tubes were observed in vivo after self- or cross-pollination in the style of clonal tea cultivar Longjing43 using fluorescence microscopy by aniline blue staining. The results showed that pollens in self-pollination germinated normally, and it was the same as that in cross-pollination. There was no significant difference in growth characteristics of pollen tubes between self- and cross-pollination during 24 hours after pollinating,but thereafter the growth speed of pollen tubes in self-pollination was slower than that in cross-pollination and was finally stoped in the style base, and meanwhile there were some incompatibility-phenomenons that the form of pollen tube apex was abnormal and fluoresced more obviously. It was suggested that the inhibited morphological manifestations of pollen tubes in self-pollination accorded with the characteristics of floral gametophytic self-incompatibility.