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Annals of Botany 86: 79-86, 2000
© 2000 Annals of Botany Company

Viability Testing of Orchid Seed and the Promotion of Colouration and Germination

Vladimir Vujanovic+, Marc St-Arnaud, Denis Barabé and Geneviève Thibeault

Institut de recherche en biologie végétale Département de sciences biologiques, Université de Montréal, Jardin botanique de Montréal, 4101 est, rue Sherbrooke, Montréal, Québec, H1X 2B2, Canada

Received: 23 November 1999 ; Returned for revision: 28 December 1999 . Accepted: 17 March 2000

This study reports the ability of Fusarium to induce orchid seed colouration and germination. The in vitro bioassay germination test, using a Fusarium isolate from the protocorm of Cypripedium reginae, was compared with standard chemical procedures of triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) and acid fuchsin (AC) for testing seed viability. With Cypripedium reginae, Cypripedium parviflorum and Platanthera grandiflora, the efficiency of the bioassay was similar to that of the TTC and AC procedures. However, the bioassay was more appropriate for estimating embryo viability after a prolonged seed pretreatment (more than 2 h) in 10% sodium hypochlorite, a surface sterilant often used to enhance germination of terrestrial species. We also obtained in vitro Cypripedium reginae seed germination induction and protocorm formation by the same Fusarium isolate. This is the first confirmation of Bernard's early reports that orchid fusaria could stimulate seed germination (Bernard N. 1990.Révue Générale de Botanique12 : 108–120). However, the importance of the non-mycorrhizal Fusarium fungus in promoting germination seems to be relatively minor compared to that of specificRhizoctonia orchid mycorrhizas. Our results are discussed in light of the current North American strategy on orchid conservation methods which proposes the use of symbiotic germination.Copyright 2000 Annals of Botany Company

Orchid, Cypripedium, Platanthera, seed, Fusarium, bioassay, staining, viability, germination, protocorm, mycorrhiza


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