Abstract: Numerous plants in Solanaceae family were important crops of the vegetable fruit worldwideto provide source of nutrients and vitamins in the human diet, and flower development is associated with species continuityin nightshade family and yield formation. Physalis pubescens is a small half-domesticated berry for medicinal and edible in Solanaceae family. To understand the flower development in Solanaceae family plants deeply, the approach of the comparative biology was adopted to dissect flower phenotypes, microsporogenesis and development in P.pubescens compared with cherry tomato(Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme), which a model plant in Solanaceae family. The results showed that sepal growth of P.pubescens was faster after flowering than that in cherry tomato, which even was slow growtheven cease. The yellowish petal with a brown spot like eyein P.pubescens was distinctly differed from yellow petal of cherry tomato. The top anther was fertile and mature pollen was spilt out from back of the anther in P.pubescens, while narrowtop anther in cherry tomato was sterile and pollen was spilt out from opening ventral suture of the anther. The microspore development was delayer in P.pubescens before tetrad stage than that in cherry tomato, but was earlier after tetrad stage than that in the latter. The most striking is abnormal growth of theseptum tissue intopollen locules in cherry tomato, and reached 1/2 of locule while pollen mature stage, but not found in P.pubescens. Those results would develop a novel model plant and provide an insight into flower development in the huge Solanaceaefamily.

Key words: Physalis pubescens, Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme, microspore development