Abstract:

To study the flowering biological characteristics of male sterility in wild tea plants, and reveal the phenotypic characteristics, taking the male sterile plants and fertile plants of wild tea as materials, we observed the flowering phenology, single-flower development process and flower morphological characteristics of wild tea plants in field, and measured the pollen viability and stigma receptivity by the methods of in vitro germination and staining. The results showed that: the flowering phase of male sterile plants of wild tea lasted for 29-33 days from early September to early October, the flowering phenology was similar to that of the control material; there were 107 days from bud germination to withering of male sterile flowers, 14 days longer than the control material; male sterile flowers had the typical characteristics of male-sterile, such as low corolla development degree, bent and deformed filaments, adhered and shriveled anthers, anthers unable to release pollen or release aborted pollen; female organs of male sterile flowers developed normally in wild tea plants, the stigma receptivity were from 1 day before flowering to 4 days after flowering, the best pollination time was 1 day after flowering. The investigated male sterile wild tea plants belong to the types of anther abortion and pollen abortion.

Key words: wild tea plant, male sterility, flowering phenophase, flower morphological characteristics, pollen viability, stigma receptivity