Abstract
Aims Cathaya argyrophylla is one of the most endangered conifers endemic to China.Previous studies showed that this species was characterized by unusually low fertility and high embryonic mortality,which may be factors leading to its endangerment.Because knowledge of pollen viability is important for successful reproduction of plant species,we investigated pollen viability in natural populations of C.argyrophylla.Methods We collected pollen samples from 16 individuals of seven populations in two locations,Dayaoshan(DYS)in Sichuan and Huaping(HP)in Guangxi.We evaluated pollen viability using the TTC method and analyzed its variation based on ANOVA.Important findings Pollen viability of C.argyrophylla is comparable to other gymnosperms.Viability was stable in dry and low temperature conditions,and the optional sucrose concentration for pollen germination was about 13%.We found low variation of pollen viability among individuals within populations(p0.05)but significant differentiation between populations within regions and among regions(p0.05).The pollen viability of C.argyrophylla is normal and thus not likely relevant to its endangerment.We proposed artificial crossings between genetically distinct populations as a potential conservation strategy for the population recovery of this endangered species.
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