EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT AND IN VITRO SEED GERMINATION OF BULBOPHYLLUM FASCINATOR

Bulbophyllum fascinator is native to the lowlands of Malaysia, Laos and Thailand and has an attractive solitary flower.
The embryo suspensor is represented by a single cell and this cell develops precociously and continues to elongate towards the micropyle as the embryo develops.
Starch grains are prominent during the early stages of embryo development.
However, the starch grains disappear as the embryo matures indicating that the suspensor may serve as a temporary food storage site for the developing embryo.
In mature seeds, the walls of the testa are uneven in thickness.
This wall feature may enable the embryo to take up water and the nutrients necessary for germination.
Optimum germination was observed when the seeds were collected between 140 to 160 days after pollination.
The desirable germination percentages (around 90%) were observed among three different concentrations of MS media, indicating that seed germination of this species can adapt to a wild range of inorganic salt concentrations.

I International Orchid Symposium

Y.-I. Lee, E.C. Yeung

asymbiotic germination, orchids, suspensor, testa

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2010.878.30