Sites of self-pollen tube inhibition in Papaveraceae (sensu lato)

Papaver rhoeas (Papaveraceae) has a well-characterized gametophytic self-incompatibility system in which self-pollen tube growth ceases either just before, or just after, emergence from the copal aperture. Papaver flowers are unusual, however, in having flat stigmatic rays sitting directly on top of the hard ovary and no style. Immediate self-pollen arrest might be required with this floral architecture. There is much variation in floral architecture among Papaveraceae and self-incompatibility is widespread. However, there are no reports of the site of self-pollen tube inhibition in Papaveraceae other than P. rhoeas. We examined the site of self-pollen tube inhibition in four species (Argemone munita, Lamprocapnos spectabilis, Eschscholzia californica, and Platystemon californicus) representing a broad phylogenetic and morphological sample of Papaveraceae. Squash preparation was used for species with soft stigmas whereas woody tissue was sectioned with a cryostat and images were stitched into a mosaic to visualize pollen tubes on whole stigmas. For three species, self-pollen tube inhibition appeared similar to that described for P. rhoeas. Self-pollen tubes were arrested before any substantial penetration of female tissue and usually did not grow longer than 100 mu m. In the fourth species, A. munita, self-pollen tubes grew up to 500 mu m in length. However, self-pollen tubes appeared to grow along the stigmatic spines, and growth ceased once tubes contacted the stigma surface. Despite variation in floral architecture, rapid arrest of self-pollen tubes occurred before or just after penetration of female tissue in all species, consistent with the hypothesis that members of the family share the same incompatibility mechanism.