Studies on the Germination of Pollen Grains of the Tea Plant

Abstract

1. The style had suitable pH 5.0-5.2(opt. pH 5.2) for germination of pollen grains of the tea flower.2. The pollen grains had the, strongest germinating power soon after flowering, and their viability tended to decrease in the lapse of time after the second germination stage.3. The pollen grains on the day before flowering showed viability of 0-62.9%, while those on the 2nd-3rd day before flowering did not germinate at all.4. There was nothing to think about the percentage of pollen sterility of the diploids, as it was, almost constant at any time and at any flower having outer long or inner short stamens.5. We tested the affinity of varieties by culturing the pollen on the artificial medium of cross-style, and found that variety Yabukita showed low mutual affinity while varieties Saitama No.1 and Indian hybrid No.2 showed high affinity. This fact consisted with the rate of earlier fruit drop which was controlled by fertilization. So this observation might be available for the test of mutual affinity among varieties at the crossing experiment.6. When pollen culture was carried out on the artificial medium of self-style, the viability of pollen was checked remarkably than in the preceding case. It was presumed that this fact was resulted from the other part of the style except stigma. The germinating power was the strongest on the 2nd-3rd day Lefore flowering. From the physiological point of view, the clone-pollination was different from the socalled self-pollination.