Phenology and anatomy of the reproductive phase of Abies pinsapo Boiss. (Pinaceae)

Phenology and anatomy of the reproductive phase of Abies pinsapo were studied. Male cones and female cones were differentiated in the autumn, and the dormant microsporangia contained pollen mother cells (PMCs) in the premeiotic stage. The male cones broke dormancy at the end of February when the pollen mother cells began meiosis. Pollen grains were shed at the five-celled stage at the end of April-early May. The female cones broke dormancy in mid-April. Anthesis took place at the end of April. No micropylar-pollination droplet was observed. After pollination the female cones developed quickly. The most important loss of cones occurred during the pollination period. The number of archegonia varied from one to three but two was most common. Fertilization took place at the end of June. The embryos developed during the summer, and seeds were dispersed in autumn. The results are discussed in relation to other conifers.