Developmental stages of ovule and embryo sac in Consolida orientalis Schrödinger (Ranunculaceae)

Although there is extensive literature on different aspects of floral structure and embryology in Ranunculaceae, the distribution of developmental studies on the family is inharmonic. Studies on some genera are extensive, but others have been less extensively investigated or some may have remained unstudied. This research is an attempt to study the developmental stages of ovule in Consolida orientalis. The flowers and buds in different developmental stages were sectioned at 7-10 μm with a microtome. Staining was performed with hematoxylin and eusine. The sections were studied by means of a light microscope. Results indicated that ovules are anatropous, bitegumic and crassinucellate. The megaspore tetrads are linear or nonlinear. The development of embryo sac belongs to the Polygonum type, but the presence of Allium type was also abundant in other species of this family. On the contrary to the common Polygonum type, the antipodal cells are large, persistent, and highly polyploid and remain uninucleate. They penetrate the embryo sac under the pressure provided by postament degenerate in the cellular stage of endosperm.