title: Pollen viability of Polygala paniculata L. (Polygalaceae) using different staining methods.
abstract: Polygala paniculata L. is a medicinal plant that grows in the Brazilian Atlantic coast, known as 'barba-de-São-João', 'barba-de-bode', 'vassourinha branca', and 'mimosa'. In this study, pollen viability was estimated by three different staining methods: 2% acetic orcein, 2% acetic carmine, and Alexander's stain. The young inflorescences of twenty accessions were collected and fixed in a solution of ethanol: acetic acid (3:1) for 24 hours, then stored in ethanol 70% under refrigeration. Six slides per plant, two for each stain, were prepared by squashing, and 300 pollen grains per slide were analyzed. Pollen viability was high (> 70%) for most accessions of P. paniculata using the Alexander's stain, which proved the most adequate method to estimate pollen viability.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cytogenetics and Genotoxicity, Department of Biology, Centro de Ciências Naturais e Exatas (CCNE), Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Avenida Roraima, no 1000, Cep. 97105-900, Camobi, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.
authors.forename: Viviane Dal-Souto
authors.initials: VD
authors.lastname: Frescura
authors.forename: Haywood Dail
authors.initials: HD
authors.lastname: Laughinghouse
authors.forename: Thais Scotti
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: do Canto-Dorow
authors.forename: Solange Bosio
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Tedesco
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011058:Pollen / Q000502:physiology*; D029608:Polygalaceae / Q000502:physiology*; D013194:Staining and Labeling / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents