A modified test to evaluate pollen viability in Juniperus communis

Pollen viability of Juniperus communis L. and other gymnosperms with taxoid type pollen cannot be assessed with the more common viability tests because the thick sporoderm prevents reagents from penetrating into the cytoplasm. Here we describe a technique for pre-hydration of pollen that overcomes this problem so that the common FCR test can be used to assess its viability. Pollen of J. communis must be re-hydrated by suspending in water. This re-hydration causes the splitting of the exine and a huge swelling of the intine. The sporoderm becomes permeable to fluoresceine diacetate and the FCR-viability test can be applied. The FCR result is supported by scoring the germination percentage in vitro.