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Pollen hydration status at dispersal: cytophysiological features and strategies

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Summary

The aim of this paper is to draw attention to partially hydrated pollen, namely, pollen grains having a high water content (>30%); this type of pollen is more frequent than previously thought. Various cyto-physiological strategies are used to retain water during exposure and dispersal such as cytoplasm carbohydrates; in the absence of such strategies, fast pollination must be ensured, because uncontrolled loss of water leads to pollen death. On the other hand, a state of partial hydration allows a fast tube emission (even within 3–5 min). Several methods for determining the hydration status of pollen at anthesis are proposed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Sciences, Siena University, Siena

    E. Padni

  2. Department of Pharmacology “G. Segre”, Siena University, Siena

    G. G. Franchi

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  1. M. Nepi
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  2. G. G. Franchi
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  3. E. Padni
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Correspondence to E. Padni.

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Nepi, M., Franchi, G.G. & Padni, E. Pollen hydration status at dispersal: cytophysiological features and strategies. Protoplasma 216, 171–180 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02673869

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02673869

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