Abstract:
In the interspecific hybrid between Abelmoschus csculentus and A. tetraphyllus the
developmental stages of male gamete were abnormal. Pollen mother cells underwent normal
meiosis and restitution division. The restitution division gave raise to fertile pollen grains.
The developmental stages of female gamete were not complete. The study revealed the
degeneration of megaspores of the linear tetrad and thus formation of empty ovules. The
megaspore tetrads were low in nucleic acids and protein. The sterility of the interspecific
hybrid is attributed to break down of entire megaspores.