Embryological studies in some grasses and their taxonomic significance

BHANWRA, R. K., KAUR, N., KAUR, N. & GARG, A., 1991. Embryological studies in some grasses and their taxonomic significance. The species investigated are Lolium multiftorum Lam (tribe Poeae), Rostraria cristata (Linn.) Tzevlev (tribe Aveneae), Cenchrus setigerus Vahl, Digitaria abludens (Roem. et Schult.) Veld, and D. ciliaris (Retz.) Koel (tribe Paniceae). Apart from the number of microsporocytes in a median longitudinal section of each anther lobe, microsporogenesis and male gametophyte development are similar. However, members of subfamilies Pooideae and Panicoideae show marked differences in structure of the ovary, ovule and post-fertilization development. Lolium multiftorum and R. cristata vary in the structure of the dorsal ovary wall, degree of curvature in the megagemetophyte in relation to the longtitudinal axis of the ovule, and structure of the pericarp. Cenchrus setigerus is an aposporic apomict and differs markedly from species of Digitaria in this respect, in the extent of development of the inner integument and in the constitution of the dorsal ovary wall. The two species of Digitaria show minor embryological differences.