Articles
Longevity of Lachenalia cut flowers
Article number
1435_33
Pages
249 – 256
Language
English
Abstract
Lachenalia (Asparagaceae) is a bulbous geophytes endemic to winter-rainfall region of southern Africa.
A breeding program resulted in obtaining extremely attractive cultivars with high potential for commercialization on the international market of cut and potted flowers.
In this study, trial was done on two Lachenalia cultivars, ‘Ronina’ (yellow flowers) and ‘Rupert’ (lilac-purple flowers), to evaluate a vase life of inflorescences.
Stems were cut from plants forced in a greenhouse and then placed in glass vases filled with distilled water.
The tested genotypes turned out to be very long-lasting.
The first flowers dried on the inflorescence stem after 12 (‘Ronina’) or 10 (‘Rupert’) days.
Half of the flowers in the inflorescence were still decorative, with a right turgor and colour on the 24th (for ‘Ronina’) or 20th (for ‘Rupert’) day of experiment, and more than 20% also on the 28th and 24th respectively.
Finally, all flowers (and unopened buds) dried on day 30 – ‘Ronina’ and on day 26 – ‘Rupert’. All the buds of ‘Ronina’ cultivar developed into mature flowers but in case of ‘Rupert’, about 18% of buds did not open at all.
The obtained results indicate that the tested cultivars are characterized by slow-to-age and long-lasting flowers, which even during aging retain their decorativeness, slightly changing colour.
A breeding program resulted in obtaining extremely attractive cultivars with high potential for commercialization on the international market of cut and potted flowers.
In this study, trial was done on two Lachenalia cultivars, ‘Ronina’ (yellow flowers) and ‘Rupert’ (lilac-purple flowers), to evaluate a vase life of inflorescences.
Stems were cut from plants forced in a greenhouse and then placed in glass vases filled with distilled water.
The tested genotypes turned out to be very long-lasting.
The first flowers dried on the inflorescence stem after 12 (‘Ronina’) or 10 (‘Rupert’) days.
Half of the flowers in the inflorescence were still decorative, with a right turgor and colour on the 24th (for ‘Ronina’) or 20th (for ‘Rupert’) day of experiment, and more than 20% also on the 28th and 24th respectively.
Finally, all flowers (and unopened buds) dried on day 30 – ‘Ronina’ and on day 26 – ‘Rupert’. All the buds of ‘Ronina’ cultivar developed into mature flowers but in case of ‘Rupert’, about 18% of buds did not open at all.
The obtained results indicate that the tested cultivars are characterized by slow-to-age and long-lasting flowers, which even during aging retain their decorativeness, slightly changing colour.
Authors
A. Kapczyńska, M. Maślanka, J. Mazur
Keywords
African geophyte, Cape hyacinth, ‘Ronina’, ‘Rupert’, vase life
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