Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202. Despite its clear agricultural importance, virtually no studies have addressed the reproductive biology of this invasive plant. This report is one of a series aimed at understanding the reproductive biology of leafy spurge. Flowers were collected at various stages of development, chemically fixed, and prepared for brightfield and epifluorescence microscopy.
Ovules are orthotropus with a distinct caruncle.
An extensive obturator is also formed. The embryo sac is of the Polygonum type but antipodals appear to be short lived. A single embryo develops with a highly reduced basal cell. An hypostase is present shortly after embryo sac formation and is retained through seed maturation. Endosperm is initially free nuclear but eventually becomes entirely cellular.