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Breeding behaviour of Kunzea pomifera (Myrtaceae): self-incompatibility, intraspecific and interspecific cross-compatibility

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Abstract

To examine breeding system characteristics of the endemic Australian prostrate shrub Kunzea pomifera, artificial hybridisations were undertaken using thirteen different genotypes of K. pomifera, to elucidate: (1) self-incompatibility, (2) intraspecific cross-compatibility in the species and (3) interspecific cross-compatibility with each of K. ambigua and K. ericoides. K. pomifera exhibited very low self-compatibility, with the barrier to self-fertilisation being prevention of pollen-tube growth in the style or ovary. Following intraspecific pollination amongst a number of different genotypes of K. pomifera, 38.4% of pollinated flowers developed fruit; arrest of compatible pollen-tubes in the style, preventing fertilisation, contributes to the low fruit set in this species. Interspecific compatibility was examined between K. pomifera (pistillate parent) and K. ambigua (staminate parent) where seed set per pollinated flower (4.47) was not significantly different from intraspecific crosses (4.66). In crosses between K. pomifera (pistillate parent) and K. ericoides as staminate plant, 0.037% of pollinated flowers produced fruit, with 0.0075 seeds per pollinated flower. Reproductive barriers between these two species were evident in the style of K. pomifera, where the growing tips of the K. ericoides pollen-tubes swelled and ceased to grow.

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Acknowledgments

T. P. was the recipient of an Australian Postgraduate Award (APA), and the project received funding support from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) and RWS Nicholas Agricultural Science Scholarship. Neville Bonney kindly donated the ‘Ba’ accession for use in this study.

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  1. Agroforestry and Novel Crops Unit, School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University, PO Box 6811, Cairns, QLD, 4870, Australia

    T. Page

  2. Melbourne School of Land and Environment, The University of Melbourne, Burnley College 500 Yarra Blvd, Richmond, VIC, 3121, Australia

    G. M. Moore & J. Will

  3. Melbourne School of Land and Environment, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia

    G. M. Halloran

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Communicated by Andrew Stephenson.

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Page, T., Moore, G.M., Will, J. et al. Breeding behaviour of Kunzea pomifera (Myrtaceae): self-incompatibility, intraspecific and interspecific cross-compatibility. Sex Plant Reprod 23, 239–253 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00497-010-0133-0

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