A method for spreading meiotic chromosomes was developed for examining synaptonemal complex (SC) formation and meiotic nodules (MN) in the Lilium species-hybrid Black Beauty. Preliminary studies suggest this technique has utility for EM immunocytochemical analyses. Black Beauty only completes 35.2% synapsis. The axial length in pachytene microsporocytes was 3699.5mum in Black Beauty and 4492.2mum in the control L. longiflorum cv. Nellie White. The number of potential synaptic initiations was estimated to be 528 for Black Beauty and 668 for Nellie White. The species-hybrid was estimated to successfully complete only 243 synaptic initiations. The synaptic defect is believed to result from an inability to convert axial associations into SC formation due to failed homology checks. Analysis of MN frequency on the chromosome axis found no difference between Black Beauty and Nellie White. MNs appeared at synaptic forks in higher than expected frequencies. The possible relationship of MNs to synapsis is discussed.