Elucidating the behaviour of pollen tubes in intra-and interspecific pollinations of Phaseolus vulgaris L. and P. coccineus Lam.

Summary The behaviour of pollen tubes in intra-and interspecific pollinations of P. vulgaris and P. coccineus has been examined using a combination of phase-contrast, and UV fluorescence microscopy. The results indicate that P. coccineus is self-compatible in terms of pollen tube growth, and that pollen tube inhibition is not responsible for the reciprocal differences in seed set which have been observed in crosses between these species.