Abstract: This paper deals with the embryological characteristics of Sagittaria guayanensis H. B.K. subsp. lappula (D. Don) Bojin. The anther wall development follows the Monocotyledonous type. The cytokinesis of microspore mother cell in meiosis is of the Successive type. The tetrads of microspores show an isobilateral arrangement, and the mature pollen grains are 3-celled. The ovule is bitegminous, pseudo-crassinucellate and anatropous. The megaspore mother cell originates directly from a single archesporial cell. The mature embryo sac consists of 7 cells including 8 nuclei and conforms to the Allium type. The two polar nuclei do not fuse into a secondary nucleus before fertilization. Instead, one sperm fuses with the micropylar end polar nucleus first , and the fertilized polar nucleus then migrates to the chalazal end, where it fuses with the second polar nucleus, forming the primary endosperm nucleus. The embryo development conforms to the Caryophyllad type. The mature embryo is U-shaped and forms the embryonic shoot apex accompanied by two leaves. The endosperm development corresponds to the Helobial type. The primary endosperm nucleus (invariably lying in the chalazal part of the embryo sac) divides and forms two chambers:large micropylar one and small chalazal one. The chalazal endosperm chamber remains binucleate, while, in the micropylar chamber free nuclear divisions occur and then cellnlarization takes place. During the embryo formation the endosperm gradually degrades and can not be found in the mature seed. The subgenus Lophotocarpus is different from the subgenus Sagittaria in some embryological aspects, especially in the structure of mature embryo sac and the double fertilization process.

Key words: Sagittria guayanensis subsp. Lappula, Gametophytic Development, Fertilization, Embryo and endosperm development