Polemoniaceae

Abstract

No g-mst is documented in any of this small-bodied and minute flowered genus of 15 known species. Progeny of crosses between certain Gilia capitata lines exhibit high reciprocal cross differences in pollen sterility (Grant 1956). These differences were constantly maintained when certain lines were used as female parents, indicating the influence of maternal cytoplasm on pollen sterility. Similar reciprocal differences in pollen sterility occur in crosses G. capitate staminea X G. C. tomentosa, and, G. C. stemines X G. C. chamissonis. In all of these, pollen sterility is much higher when G. C. staminea was used as female. Reciprocal cross differences in staminal differentiation and development occur in hybrids obtained after crossing G. tenuiflora tenuiflora X G. exilis bizonate (Grant 1956). When G. exilis was used as the female parent, stamens were abortive in half of the Fj plants. In reciprocal crosses, almost all the hybrids had normal-looking stamens. The mst was almost complete in G. exilis X G. tenuiflora crosses, but about 70% in the reciprocal crosses (Grants 1956).