Pollen ontogeny in Magnolia liliflora Desr.

Pollen ontogeny contributes significantly to the evolutionary analysis and the understanding of the reproductive biology of seed plants. Although much research on basal angiosperms is being carried out there are still many important features about which little is known in these taxa, such as the sporophytic structures related to pollen development and morphology. In this study, pollen development of Magnolia liliflora was analyzed by optical microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The aim of this paper was to supply data that will help characterize basal angiosperms. Microsporogenesis is of the successive type, so that tetrads are decussate or isobilateral. The callosic walls form by the centripetal growth of furrows. The secretory tapetum develops orbicules, which start to form in the microspore tetrad stage. Pollen grains are shed at the bicellular stage. The exine wall has a granular infratectum. Ultrastructural changes observed in the cytoplasm of microspores and tapetal cells are related to the development of the pollen grain wall and orbicules. Centrifugal cell plates are more usual for the successive type of microsporogenesis. The presence of the successive type of microsporogenesis with callosic walls formed by the centripetal growth of furrows could reflect the fact that the successive type in Magnoliaceae is derived from the simultaneous type. The granular infratectum of the ectexine and the presence of orbicules could indicate that this species is one of the most evolved of the genus.