Abstract
A selection experiment was undertaken to test if metal tolerance expressed in pollen was determined by the pollen genotype, and if selection for metal tolerance could be effective during pollen development in the anther. Heterozygous metal tolerant plants of Silene dioica and Mimulus guttatus were cloned and grown either in the absence or presence of toxic concentrations of zinc or copper. These metals entered the flowers in potentially toxic amounts. The percent viable pollen decreased when compared to control plants, and the remaining pollen had a different pattern of germination in the presence of metals. In addition, the proportion of tolerant progeny from test crosses to metal sensitive plants increased significantly if pollen came from treated clones. Thus, selection appeared to be effective during pollen development, and metal tolerance in pollen significantly influenced by the pollen genome.
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