Abstract: Three mutant lines with pink, red and purple flowers were cultivated from the descendants of Impatiens balsamina“Yuan 3”induced by spaceflight. The number and arrangement of chromosomes in their male gametes, their pollen activities, as well as cell division during male gametogenesis were investigated. The results were analyzed comparatively with previous reports in SP₁, SP₂ and SP₃ generations. It was found that chromosome numbers in mutant lines with pink or red flower were close to the normal, while the rate of pollens with normal chromosome number in the mutant line with purple
flower was recorded as low as 2.88%, and the average number was 10.46. Furthermore, paraspore, malformed pollen and irregular arrangement of chromosomes in pollens were observed in the line with purple flower. Statistical analysis via TTC staining showed that the activities of pollens in the mutant line with purple flower were very low. However, the other two lines showed obvious high pollen activities. The results suggested that the lines with red or pink flower trend to be stable, but the line with purple flower was far from stableness .

Key words: Impatiens balsamina