Incompatibility in Populus: structural and cytochemical characteristics of the receptive stigmas of Populus alba and P. nigra.

Structural and cytochemical characteristics of stigmas of Populus alba (section Leuce) and P. nigra (section Aigeiros) have been studied to provide an understanding of the cell biology of the interspecific incompatibility reactions between these two species. In addition to specific morphological characteristics, stigma surfaces differ in the presence of an exudate studied by ultrastructural and stigma print techniques. P. nigra shows features of a dry-type stigma covered by a pellicle, whereas P. alba has a copious exudate typical of a wet-type stigma that contains unsaturated lipids.