Pollen Bud Formation and its Role in Ophiorrhiza spp.

The anther in Ophiorrhiza is dithecous and tetralocular, itsdevelopment being of the dicotyledonous type. The anther wallcomprises epidermis, endothecium, middle layer and secretorytapetum. The pollen grains are tricolpate and triporate. Themicrospore nucleus undergoes division to form a vegetative nucleusand a generative nucleus and protrusions (pollen buds) are formedfrom the germ pores after the first division of the microsporenucleus. The vegetative nucleus moves into one of these budsor first breaks into a number of irregularly sized nuclear particleswhich enter into one, two or into all three buds, where theydegenerate. Then the pollen buds are separated and the generativenucleus divides inside the pollen tube to form two sperms. Ophiorrhiza harrisiana, Ophiorrhiza hirsutula, microsporogenesis, pollen buds, vegetative nucleus