Abstract: Plumbaginace is one of the family with more heterostyle plants. Using Limonium chrysocomum as materials, we studied the effects of style polymorphism on reproduction by investigating its floral traits, flowering phenology and breeding system. L.chrysocomum is distyly, which contains stigmas with polygonal cells and A type pollen(C plants) or stigmas with papillose cells and B type pollen(P plants), and the size and surface ornamenation of pollen are also dimorphic. During the development of flowering, the divergence of calyx and pistil reveals obsoletely, and then dribbles away in maturing. Existing the phenomenon of approach herkogamy, and C plants keep flowering 2 days longer. The fastigium of A type pollen viability comes at 13:00, while at both 11:00 and 15:00 shows a peak for B type pollen. The strongest cob stigma receptivity is at 13:00-15:00, and papillate stigma is at 15:00. The highest pollen fertility of L.chrysocomum is in the time of flowering-culmination, however in flowering-termination time the pollen fertility rate of B type pollen is far higher. By fluorescent staining, the speed of pollen germination and tube growth is in the order of heterotype>homotype, and the fertility process of B type pollen adhered to papillate stigmas can not be completed. By artificial pollination experiments, the seed-setting rate of heterotype is significantly higher than homotype, however, among homotype treatments the seed-setting rate of P plants is exiguous and having little apomixes. Actually, the researchs indicated that: L.chrysocomum was distyly and breeding system was facultative xenogamy. The cob stigmas were compatibility for A/B type pollen, while the papillate stigmas were compatibility for A type pollen, but incompatibility for B type pollen, which broke the self-incompatibility rule in plumbaginace.

Key words: Limonium chrysocomum, floral features, breeding system, self-incompability, dimorphism