Nuclear Behaviour in the Sterile Pollen of Vanilla planifolia (Andrews)

Abstract

VaniIla pollen was cultured on a nutritive medium and germination count after five hours was found to be 45 %. In about 12 % of the pollen grains a nuclear division was present. This division was similar to the first pollen mitosis. Various abnormalities in chromosome behaviour was recorded. The percentage abnormalities varied from 17.0 to 38.2 in different flowers. Similar nuclear divisions and chromosome abnormalities were also found in flower buds collected at 24, 48, and 72 hours prior to anthesis. This unusual behaviour might either be the result of delayed first pollen mitosis which should have taken place soon after the organisation of pollen grains or they represented a premature division of the generative nucleus.