A Procedure for Staining Pollen Nuclei When Obscured by Cytoplasmic Inclusions

Abstract

The number and shape of pollen nuclei in cytologically refractive plants can be determined from anthers fixed in FAA, preserved in 70% ethanol, treated 10–30 min with 50% HCl in 95% ethanol, and stained with iron acetocarmine saturated with chloral hydrate, 1–16 hr. Pollen is then pressed from the anther into a drop of plain acetocarmine, warmed, examined and permanently mounted in Venetian turpentine medium. This procedure clears the cytoplasm of many opaque obstructions and frequently separates the exine from the cytoplast. It may be used with flowering material which has been stored several years at room temperature.