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Posted on 7:00 PM by Wanto and filed under
By Thomas Sandford
To sow the orchid seed without contamination creeping in is not easy because microscopic fungus spores abound. One spore entering the jar will grow rapidly on the surface of the agar. At this stage, even the seed contains microscopic fungus spores and has to be sterilized.
Most species clones are diploid. indicated by the scientific symbol 2N. Diploids have an even number of chromosomes and ensure fertility throughout the species.
There are well-documented accounts of orchids in cultivation that are over 150 years old. These plants are exactly the same as they were when they first flowered. Their colour, shape and size do not alter with age, and all vegetative propagations will remain the same. It is possible to divide or take cuttings many times with the results all being identical to the original stock. However, propagating orchids from seed enables the grower to produce new orchids that have not been seen before.
To the grower: diploids are usually even-growing, freeflowering plants. Tetraploids produce larger, more robust plants, with superior quality and better-shaped flowers but fewer on a spike.
Without the tetraploids the great advances made in hybridizing would not have been achieved.
Its viability is checked by sowing a small amount of seed every few years. What the end result will be is difficult to predict, but it will be interesting to see if the seed is still fertile after long-term storage.
Provided the seed you used was fertile, within three weeks the agar surface will turn bright green as the minute seeds swell into protocorms. These are chlorophyll-filled vessels from which leaves and roots are produced within a few more weeks.
Orchids with uneven numbers of Chromosomes will not breed. These can often be converted by treating at a very eirly stage with Colchicine, an extract iom the crocus. This will react by dunging the chromosome count in both seed- and tissue-cultured plants. This technique requires some laborawry experience in handling such very szriall amounts of plant material.
Most species clones are diploid. indicated by the scientific symbol 2N. Diploids have an even number of chromosomes and ensure fertility throughout the species.
There are well-documented accounts of orchids in cultivation that are over 150 years old. These plants are exactly the same as they were when they first flowered. Their colour, shape and size do not alter with age, and all vegetative propagations will remain the same. It is possible to divide or take cuttings many times with the results all being identical to the original stock. However, propagating orchids from seed enables the grower to produce new orchids that have not been seen before.
To the grower: diploids are usually even-growing, freeflowering plants. Tetraploids produce larger, more robust plants, with superior quality and better-shaped flowers but fewer on a spike.
Without the tetraploids the great advances made in hybridizing would not have been achieved.
Its viability is checked by sowing a small amount of seed every few years. What the end result will be is difficult to predict, but it will be interesting to see if the seed is still fertile after long-term storage.
Provided the seed you used was fertile, within three weeks the agar surface will turn bright green as the minute seeds swell into protocorms. These are chlorophyll-filled vessels from which leaves and roots are produced within a few more weeks.
Orchids with uneven numbers of Chromosomes will not breed. These can often be converted by treating at a very eirly stage with Colchicine, an extract iom the crocus. This will react by dunging the chromosome count in both seed- and tissue-cultured plants. This technique requires some laborawry experience in handling such very szriall amounts of plant material.
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