Articles
SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF THE STEM OF CUT FLOWERS OF ROSA CV. SONIA AND GERBERA CV. FLEUR
Article number
261_12
Pages
97 – 106
Language
Abstract
Scanning electron microscopic observations have been made of transverse and longitudinal cross-sections of xylem vessels of cut flowers of Rosa and Gerbera. Flowers were collected after a vase life of max. 24 hr and different vase waters were used for this incubation period.
Flowers were incubated in: sterile tap water, pure submerged cultures of Bacillus sp., Fusarium sp., and Kluyveromyces sp. respectively up to a max. of 5 x 107 cells per ml of vase water.
Electron micrographs of stem sections were taken in a Jeol 35C scanning electron microscope at 15 kV accelerating voltage.
We found a preferential clotting of the micro-organisms on the cut cross-section of the flower stem submerged and incubated in the vase water.
This clotting could be responsible for a decrease in the water uptake of the flower.
A positive correlation was found between the number of micro-organisms in the vase water and the vase life of the flowers.
Flowers were incubated in: sterile tap water, pure submerged cultures of Bacillus sp., Fusarium sp., and Kluyveromyces sp. respectively up to a max. of 5 x 107 cells per ml of vase water.
Electron micrographs of stem sections were taken in a Jeol 35C scanning electron microscope at 15 kV accelerating voltage.
We found a preferential clotting of the micro-organisms on the cut cross-section of the flower stem submerged and incubated in the vase water.
This clotting could be responsible for a decrease in the water uptake of the flower.
A positive correlation was found between the number of micro-organisms in the vase water and the vase life of the flowers.
Authors
ANKE C.M. CLERKX, A. BOEKESTEIN, H. M.C. PUT
Keywords
Online Articles (51)