Reduced pollen viability and achene development in Solidago x niederederi Khek from Poland

Pollen and achene characters of natural interspecific hybrid Solidago ×niederederi Khek were analyzed and compared with putative parental species S. virgaurea L. and S. canadensis L. to estimate the level of disturbances in generative reproduction resulting from its hybrid nature. Pollen viability (stainability) of Solidago ×niederederi from one newly discovered locality in NE Poland was evidently reduced to ~65% in both viability tests (acetocarmine and Alexander). The diameter of viable pollen (median 21.11 μm) fell between S. canadensis (median 19.52 μm) and S. virgaurea (median 23.48 μm). Both parental species produced normally developed achenes with high frequency (~90%) whereas in the hybrid, the seed set was dramatically low (6%). The results clearly indicated that sexual reproduction of hybridogenous taxon S. ×niederederi is disturbed, and its potential impact as an invasive species depends mainly on vegetative propagation.