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Abstract
The number of pollen grains in anthers of Phaseolus vulgaris L. was estimated using a Coulter Counter, an electrical particle-counting device. Nine green buds were collected randomly from 3 plants grown in a growth chamber. From each bud, one anther at a time was excised and placed in liquid Ν for 3 sec. Pollen grains were transferred from the anthers into a drop of 0.3 M NaCl on a glass slide. The saline-pollen grain mixture was cleaned of all debris, and pollen was washed into a beaker containing the same solution. This procedure was repeated for the remaining 9 anthers of each bud. The total number of pollen grains per bud was determined using a Coulter Counter.
Abstract
Plants of Phaseolus vulgaris L. ‘Light Red Kidney’ grown under controlled conditions flowered over a 20-day period. The first flower to open was on the terminal (uppermost) raceme. Pods retained to maturity originated from flowers that opened within 5 days of anthesis and were located at the basal positions on a raceme. Flowers that opened 4 to 5 days after anthesis had a much higher proportion of aborted pods than those that opened at anthesis or one day thereafter.
Abstract
Plants of Phaseolus vulgaris ‘Red Kidney’ were studied under controlled environmental conditions to determine the effect of prefertilization events on seed and pod set. These were analyzed on flowers of the terminal receme at anthesis and 7 days postanthesis. Microscopic examination of pollen indicted that less than 7 % of the grains were aborted and that a sufficient number of grains germinated on the stigma to ensure fertilization of all ovules within an ovary. All ovules observed were fertilized; the number of ovules per ovary was 4 or 5. Results indicate that the discrepancy between the number of ovules and the final seed number per pod is due to seed abortion rather than to ovule abortion. Pod abortion appears to be a consequence of postfertilization processes.