Key message: We provide new embryological information regarding the Fagaceaefamily. Abortive ovules may be a result of mate choice and be necessary to maximize reproductive success in Chinese chinquapin (Castanea henryi). Abstract: In contrast to most angiosperms, in which fertilization occurs 1–2 days after pollination, fertilization in Fagales is delayed from 4 days to more than 1 year. However, the phenomenon of delayed fertilization in Castanea Miller species (Fagaceae), which are the economically important species of Fagaceae and widely distributed or cultured in many...
