Renuka Kumari1*, Mamata Jamwal1 and Namrata Sharma1
1Department of Botany, University of Jammu, Jammu 180006, India
Email: renukabhagat012@gmail.com
Received-14.07.2017, Revised-25.07.2017
Abstract: Our studies on the breeding systems and pollination biology of number of annual weed species of Jammu region of J&K, India has revealed most of them to be annuals, sexually reproducing and selfers. Majority of them are prolific fruit and seed producers. Predominant / obligate selfing enables these plants to set seeds even in uncertain pollinator conditions, helping both in their survival and rapid spread. Two plant species of this group namely Trifolium dubium Sibth and Fumaria indica (Hauskn.) Pugsley however defy these generalisation. Plants of these species like their other counterparts are selfers with high fruit set. Seed set in these two species however averages below 50 %. This dip in seed set is because they invariably abort a proportion of their ovules. The abortion is mostly prefertilization and fruits are invariably one seeded. The details of the studies in different populations of Fumaria indica point towards this mechanism to be universal, although the pattern differs. Investigated abortion seems predetermined and is uniform indicating it to be genetically determined.
Keywords: Cleistogamous, Fumaria indica, In situ pollen germination, Ovule abortion
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