In vivo pollination and pollen tube growth in malformed and healthy flowers of mango

The comparative morphology of healthy and malformed hermaphrodite flowers of Dusheri mango revealed the pointed and hook like stigmatic surfaces in malformed flowers, whereas the stigmatic surface was broader in healthy flowers. The degeneration of styler tissue was frequent in malformed flowers as compared to the healthy ones. The pollen germination started 12 hours post-pollination on the stigmatic surface of healthy flowers in vivo. Pollen tube elongation was recorded 24–48 hours post-pollination. It led to fruit set on healthy panicles, whereas, in malformed flower, the abnormal stigmatic surface may hinder the process of pollination, pollen germination and styler tissue degeneration which led to lack of fertilisation and consequently fruit set.