The time and duration of female meiosis in Lilium

Abstract

The time and duration of meiosis in ovules and anthers was estimated in plants of two Lilium hybrids (cultivars ‘Sonata’ and ‘Black Beauty’) grown under controlled conditions. Within each flower bud meiosis did not start in the embryo sac mother cell (e.m.c.) until about the time when meiosis in pollen mother cells (p.m.cs) was ended. In both cultivars meiosis lasted about 50% longer in e.m.cs than in p.m.cs. Thus, at a mean temperature of 20 ± 1 °C meiosis in ‘Sonata’ took 7.5 days in p.m.cs and 10.5 days in e.m.cs, while in ‘Black Beauty’ it took 10.5 days in p.m.cs and 16.0 days in e.m.cs.