Research Prospects and limits of the flow cytometric seed screen – insights from Potentilla sensu lato (Potentilleae, Rosaceae) Christoph Dobes1, Andrea Luckl€ 1, Karl Hulber€ 2,3 and Juraj Paule4 1Department of Pharmacognosy, Pharmacobotany, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A–1090, Vienna, Austria; 2Department of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology, University of Vienna, Rennweg 14, A–1030, Vienna, Austria; 3Vienna Institute for Nature Conservation & Analyses, Giessergasse 6/7, A-1090, Vienna, Austria; 4Department of Botany and Molecular Evolution, Senckenberg Research Institute & Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, D–60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Summary Author for correspondence: The flow cytometric seed screen allows for identification of reproductive modes of seed for- Christoph Dobes mation and inference of the ploidy of contributing gametes. However, the lack of a mathe- Tel: +43 1 4277 55276 matical formalization to infer male/female genomic contributions, and the prerequisite of a Email:
[email protected] binucleate female contribution to the endosperm limits its applicability. Received: 25 September 2012 We evaluated this assumption combining a DNA-based progeny survey with a comparison Accepted: 14 December 2012 of the cytology of reproductive pathways co-occurring within single individuals representing 14 Potentilleae species from six phylogenetic lineages. New Phytologist (2013) A numerical framework valid for sexual and pseudogamous taxa was developed, enabling doi: 10.1111/nph.12149 quantification of female and male genomes contributing to embryo and endosperm indepen- dent of gametophyte origins, numbers of sperm involved and ploidy of parents. The inference Key words: apomixis, cytology, embryo, strongly depended on accurate peak index estimation.