Abstract.
The flowers of Mammea (Clusiaceae) have been reported to be androdioecious, a rare condition in the angiosperms. Pollen from eight taxa from most of the geographic range of the genus was examined to clarify the type of flowers, and thus the breeding system, of the genus. In six of these taxa pollen from both morphologically perfect and male flowers was examined, while in the other two, only pollen from the perfect flowers was used. In all cases pollen from perfect flowers was inaperturate, while that from the staminate flowers was aperturate. Since the inaperturate pollen probably cannot germinate, it is concluded that the perfect flowers are functionally female. Therefore, Mammea has a cryptic dioecious breeding system.
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The author would like to thank Peter Endress, Michael Hesse, Toby Kellogg, P. Mick Richardson, and Peter F. Stevens for editorial comments and advice. Andrew Doust, Sara Fuentes and Ken Hiser helped on the SEM. Much thanks goes to Peter F. Stevens for his helpful support throughout this project.
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Dunthorn, M. Cryptic dioecy in Mammea (Clusiaceae). Plant Syst. Evol. 249, 191–196 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-004-0184-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00606-004-0184-5