Abstract

Rauvolfia serpentina is being used worldwide for its extensive medicinal value. A very few studies were done about microsporogenesis and male gametophyte formations in R. serpentina and they lack in accurate information about it. The aim of the present study was to give accurate information regarding microsporogenesis and male gametophyte formations in R. serpentina. Results explain the most important characteristic features ofR. serpentina that was tetrasporangiate anther, dicotyledonous type of anther wall formation, the occurrence of both successive and simultaneous cytokinesis during the meiosis in microspore mother cells, uninucleate and highly vacuolated glandular tapetum, tetrahedral, tetragonal and decussate pollen tetrad and three-celled mature pollen grain during shedding time. These results were compared and discussed with other previous studies about Rauvolfia. Some of the studies contradicted with each other in terms of anther development and microsporogenesis, within genus and even in the species R.serpentina. Through this study, we clarified all these controversial information of microsporogenesis and concluded that R. serpentina undoubtedly follows both successive and simultaneous cytokinesis. Appearance of both types of cytokinesis is common inRauvolfia, even though simultaneous is prevalent.

Key words: Rauvolfia serpentine, Apocynaceae, microsporogenesis, simultaneous cytokinesis, successive cytokinesis.