Abstract: The floral bud of Cornus officinalis Sieb. et Zucc. began to differentiate at the end of April. In the beginning of November, female and male gametophytes reached their maturation. The flowers fell off in the following March. The wall of the microsporangium comprised epidermis, endothecium, two or three middle layers and a single layer of amoeboid tapetum with two nuclei. The extra-tapetal membrane was formed during the later stage of the development of anther. Meiosis of microspore mother-cell was normal and cytokinesis was of the simultaneous type. The tetrad was tetrahedral in shape. The mature pollen grains were 2-celled and 3-colporate. The ovule was unitegminous and tenuinucellate. During the development of the ovule, some special structures were formed, e. g. hypostase and obturator which originated from the integument. A single archesporium differentiated immediately below the nucellar epidermis. It functioned directly as the megaspore mother-celL This cell under went meiosis to form a linear tetrad. The chalazal megaspore was functional. The development of the embryo sac was conformed as the polygonum type. Two polar nuclei fused into the secondary nucleus and 'three antipodal cells degenerated soon after the embryo sac reached its maturation, at that time the female gametophyte had become an embryo sac which consisted of only four cells each with a nucleus just before two months of blooming. The nuclei of some synergids located in the chalazal part of the cells. Contrarily, the micropylar past of the synergids were occupied by a large vacuole. The secondary nucleus was usually located in the chalazal part of the embryo sac.

Key words: Cornus officinalis, Female gametophyte, Male gametophyte