The possibility to induce embryo development after pollination of F₁ interspecific cotton hybrids (Gossypium barbadense x G. hirsutum ) and their reciprocals with pollen from Hibiscus cannabinus or Abelmoschus esculentus was investigated to determine if wide-cross hybrid, haploid or other types of progeny might result. Small numbers of progeny (Pa₀) were indeed recovered after numerous alien pollinations and in-planta development or in-vitro culture. The Pa₀ plants were characterized phenotypically and studied cytogenetically and molecularly to help establish their reproductive origins. Root-tip chromosome counts and meiotic Metaphase-I analyses revealed that chromosome numbers among cells of the Pa₀ plants ranged from 27 to 44 and that the differences in chromosome number among cells of the same plant ranged from 1 to 3, indicating somatic instability. The chromosome numbers however, increased progressively from generation to generation and by Pa₃ ranged from 46 to 52. Flow cytometric and molecular analyses also indicated the aneuploid nature or the near tetraploid level of Pa plants. Although the reproductive mechanisms need to be characterized more extensively by cytological and molecular means, the observations suggest that alien pollinations may have resulted in parthenogenetic (Pa) egg cell development, or other unusual reproductive events. The production of wide-crosses and high degrees of aneuploidy could be of use for several types of genomic studies, e.g., functional genomic characterization of genome shock, deletion mapping, and germplasm introgression.