THE EFFECT OF BASAL-PLATE TISSUE ON THE KEEPING-QUALITY OF HYACINTH CUT FLOWERS

The sales of hyacinth cut flowers are impeded by the failure of the flowers to develop properly at the customers and because the cut stems do not retain their turgidity.
The seriousness of both phenomena differs with the cultivars used.
However, if a piece of the basal-plate tissue remains attached to the stem, the flower will come to full bloom and stay turgid.

Experiments showed that hyacinth cut flowers with basal-plate tissue took up water more quickly during the first 30 hours of vase life than flowers without basal-plate tissue.
During the first 5 hours in the vase, the water uptake of the stems with basal-plate tissue could be 5 times higher than that of stems without basal-plate tissue.
This was visualized by using Ecoline (a transparent water colour) instead of water.
Longitudinal sections taken after 5.5 h in Ecoline showed that stems with basal-plate tissue had taken up much more Ecoline than stems without basal-plate tissue.
The difference in uptake rate of Ecoline was no longer apparent after 30 h of vase life.

These data indicate that an optimal water uptake during the first days of vase life is a major factor for enhancing the keeping-quality of hyacinth cut flowers.

V International Symposium on Flower Bulbs

A. Swart

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1990.266.39