Abstract
Primula veris (Primulaceae) is a valuable medicinal plant. The main characteristics for assessing the reproductive potential (embryological features; mode of reproduction; pollen and seed viability) and the genetic diversity of populations of the species from Bulgaria were studied. The anthers are tetrasporangiate. Their wall development follows the Dicotyledonous-type and consists of: epidermis, a fibrous endothecium, an ephemeral middle layer and a secretory (glandular) tapetum. After meiosis in pollen mother cells and simultaneous microsporogenesis tetrahedral tetrads are formed predominantly in the anthers. Many ovules (approximately 20) develop in the unilocular ovary and are anatropous, tenuinucellate and bitegmic. The embryo sac (ES) develops after Polygonum (monosporic)-type from the chalazal cell of linear megaspore tetrad in the ovule. After double fertilization, a Caryophyllad-type embryo and initially nuclear endosperm form. In the studied populations, high pollen viability of more than 95% was established. Extremely low viability (about 4%) of the seeds obtained from natural populations was established. The results reveal P. veris to be a predominantly amphimictic (sexually reproducing) species, although rare vegetative propagation is also observed. As a result of this study, essential data were obtained about the reproductive structures and processes and for assessing the reproductive potential of P. veris.
Highlights
The genus Primula L. includes six subgenera with 37 sections [1], and is the largest in the family Primulaceae
For the first time, the peculiarities of the generative processes and structures of the Bulgarian populations of Primula veris are established, in order to reveal the reproductive potential of this valuable medicinal plant
Considering that the embryological features are very conservative, the established new features enrich the data on embryology and reproductive biology of this species and the genus Primula
Summary
The genus Primula L. includes six subgenera with 37 sections [1], and is the largest in the family Primulaceae. In Europe, the genus Primula is represented by only 34 species, included in four sections [1]. The genus was an object of the pioneer Darwin’s scientific treatise on the floral morphology, in particular heterostyly and reproductive biology [3]. He paid particular attention to the distyly in it. (reciprocal herkogamy) is confirmed for 28 Angiosperms families [4,5], and in particular, the distyly, as its most common type, is found in 26 of them [6], including Primulaceae
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