Ability of Pollen to Germinate prior to Anthesis and Effect of Desiccation on Germination

The ability of pollen to germinate prior to anthesis was tested using Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum L.) and corn (Zea mays L.). Lily pollen normally dries to a low moisture content between anthesis and pollination while corn does not. The corn pollen germinated well (about 73%) when removed from anthers 1 day before anthesis and placed on culture medium. The lily pollen germinated poorly (0 to 5%) when harvested one to six days before anthesis. However, the lily pollen harvested one or two days before anthesis gave greatly improved germination (about 55%) after it was dried to a low moisture content. The results indicate that an internal control prevents premature germination of lily pollen and that drying is the final stage of pollen maturation. A different sort of regulatory mechanism must operate to prevent premature germination of corn pollen.