The assessment of incompatibility and cross-compatibility in three populations of European globeflower (Trollius europaeus L.) by observing the pollen tubes growth

Abstract

The European globeflower was shown to be highly self‐incompatible by flower bagging experiments, however, a very small degree of selfing was observed in natural populations. The present study is an attempt to evaluate the level of self-incompatibility (SI) in three Trollius europaeus populations from different sites of Poland and to assess a degree of cross-compatibility (CC) between these populations. The SI and CC of the globeflower populations were evaluated based on the pollen germination index (PGI). The observations of pollen grains germination and pollen tubes penetration were made in pistils after self- and diallel cross-pollination of globeflower plants. The pollination combinations which had the PGI equal or higher than 2 were regarded as compatible. Generally, the PGI after self-pollination of all globeflower population was over 2, indicating that they are self-compatible. Also, in two globeflower populations after cross-pollination the PGI was higher than 2 showing that there was cross-compatibility between plants of these two populations. However, the third population, from Biedrusko, was fully cross-incompatible.

Keywords

• globeflower
• Trollius europaeus
• self-incompatibility
• incompatibility
• pollen tubes