CYTOHISTOLOGY OF A 2–2–4 TYPE SPORT IN BARTLETT PEAR (Pyrus Communis)

Abstract

In the 1980' s, a Bartlett pear giant fruit sport was found in Pingdu, Shandong. The characteristics of mutation are larger fruit, thicker branch, shorter internode and much more spur. By grafting propagation, the clones began to bear fruit in 1990, and maintain the characteristics of variable mother plant. From microspore formation to blossom and spreading pollen, the cytohistological observation of sport flowering organs indicates: in every phase of pollen development, the size of florets, anthers and pollen grains are similar to CK; their pollen types both belong to tricolporat, pollen grains are nearly equal in size. This indicates that sport sporogenous tissue do not mutate. The observation of shoot apex sections showes: for CK, the cells of three histogenic layers range regularly; the size of cells, nuclei, and nucleoli among LI, LII, LIII are similar. For sport, the cells of LI, LII are no difference from CK, but in LIII and inner tissue, cells, nuclei, nucleoli all become larger clearly. This indicates LIII had mutated. So this sport is a 2–2–4 type chimera.