Study on the Development of Ovule and Female Gametophyte in Alpinia henryi

The ovules of Alpinia henryi K.Schum are anatropous,crassinucellate and bitegmic.The inner integument alone forms the micropyle.There is only one layer of parietal cells at the stage of sporogenous cell,megaspore mother cell and tetrad.The tetrads are linear,few triads.The chalazal megaspore is functional.Mature ovule has epistase and hypostase structures.The development of the embryo sac is of the polygonum type.Chalazal end of mature embryo sac is narrow and elongated,it forms a caecum.The antipodal nuclei do not organize into cells,are epheme ral .The initiation of membranous aril primordia from the outer integument and the funicle.