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<p>Beautiful flowers can attract pollinators more effectively to ensure successful sexual reproduction, while the flower function may be changed for plants with strong clonal growth. <i>Tradescantia fluminensis</i>, native to South America, has been naturalized as an aggressive weed worldwide but rarely bears seed. Here, we investigated the chromosome number, microsporogenesis, pollen morphology, pollen viability, stigma receptivity, pollination biology, and mating system of <i>T. fluminensis</i> for causes of sterility. The results showed that: (1) The main pollinator of <i>T. fluminensis</i> in Central China was <i>Apis mellifera</i>. (2) Somatic cells exhibited varied chromosome number 2n = 40–60, with 2n = 52 being the most frequent. (3) The pollen germination rate in vitro was only 9%, due to the irregular meiosis caused by the presence of univalent chromosomes, lagging chromosomes, and micronuclei. (4) <i>T. fluminensis</i> had normal stigma receptivity, but no pollen tube was observed via self- or cross-pollination. Our results suggest that the sterility of <i>T. fluminensis</i> is mainly caused by the low pollen viability resulting from abnormal meiosis. The delicate flowers of <i>T. fluminensis</i> are just evolutionary relics of sexual reproduction.</p>

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Beautiful flowers but with no seeds: the sexual dysfunction of Tradescantia fluminensis

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月9日

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  • Tao Huang,
  • Zikun Wang,
  • Ruotong Chen,
  • Lingkai Kong,
  • Qi Zhang,
  • Wei Du

摘要

Beautiful flowers can attract pollinators more effectively to ensure successful sexual reproduction, while the flower function may be changed for plants with strong clonal growth. Tradescantia fluminensis, native to South America, has been naturalized as an aggressive weed worldwide but rarely bears seed. Here, we investigated the chromosome number, microsporogenesis, pollen morphology, pollen viability, stigma receptivity, pollination biology, and mating system of T. fluminensis for causes of sterility. The results showed that: (1) The main pollinator of T. fluminensis in Central China was Apis mellifera. (2) Somatic cells exhibited varied chromosome number 2n = 40–60, with 2n = 52 being the most frequent. (3) The pollen germination rate in vitro was only 9%, due to the irregular meiosis caused by the presence of univalent chromosomes, lagging chromosomes, and micronuclei. (4) T. fluminensis had normal stigma receptivity, but no pollen tube was observed via self- or cross-pollination. Our results suggest that the sterility of T. fluminensis is mainly caused by the low pollen viability resulting from abnormal meiosis. The delicate flowers of T. fluminensis are just evolutionary relics of sexual reproduction.