4a. CONTRIBUCION AL CONOCIMIENTO DE LA HISTOLOGlA Y CITOLOGIA DEL MAGUEY (AGAVE)

Resumen

In this paper is described the general structure of the anther, pollen grains, ovary and ovules of cultivated Agave. Pollen grains were found normal in structure and development, while the embryo-sac of the ovule was found always empty with no egg-cell, synergida, secondary nucleus or antipodal cells ever present. Based on these facts, the sterility of many cultivated species of Agave was explained as due to the abnormal development of the ovule, this being confirmed by the structure of the seeds in which only the teguments are present, no embryo existing.