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Seed Development Following the Mating of Trifolium repens x T. uniflorum¹

About 17% of the ovules of Trifolium repens L. were fertilized by the male gametes of T. uniflorum L. following the mating of the two species; however, few if any of these would have developed into viable seeds. The hybrid embryo, although it grew more slowly than that of T. repens, differentiated normally or nearly so up to the 6th day after pollination. The hybrid endosperm, on the other hand, began to develop abnormally on the 4th day. By the 6th day, the endosperm was highly vacuolate. The appearance of the endosperm and the adjacent maternal tissues suggested that at this stage of development the endosperm had lost the ability to absorb and conduct nutrients. By the 8th day, the endosperm had disintegrated and the embryo appeared to be degenerating. These observations suggest that failure of the hybrid embryo to develop to a germinable condition following the mating of T. repens x T. uniflorum is a result of starvation caused by abnormal development and, eventually, disintegration of the endosperm. Failure of the endosperm to nourish the embryo may be attributed to genetic imbalance of the endosperm itself, or to an unfavorable interaction of the endosperm with the maternal tissues.

Key Words: Cross incompatibility • Seed failure • Abnormal endosperm development • Barriers to hybridization

² Visiting Assistant Professor of Agronomy, South Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station; and Research Agronomist, Plant Science Research Division, Agricultural Research Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Clemson, S. C. 29631.

Received for publication February 26, 1971.

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