DYNAMICS OF POLLEN TUBE GROWTH IN THE WILD RADISH, RAPHANUS RAPHANISTRUM (BRASSICACEAE). I. ORDER OF FERTILIZATION

Abstract

Gametophytic competition and selection have important effects on patterns of mating in plant populations. However, the relative importance of prezygotic mechanisms is often unclear due to a paucity of observations on pollen tube growth in vivo. In this study, we present observations on pollen tube behavior in the gynoecium of wild radish. Significant variation in the order of fertilization of the linearly arranged ovules occurred within the radish ovary. This variation is evidence that prezygotic mechanisms of gamete selection operate to sort pollen tubes nonrandomly to different ovule positions in the ovary. We propose that the variation in fertilization patterns can be attributed to variance in pollen tube growth rates in the central septum of the radish gynoecium. The path of pollen tube growth and gynoecial structure deserve greater attention in future studies of gamete competition.