Asymbiotic Germination and Seedling Development ofTerrestrial Orchid Bletilla striata Using in vitro and exvitro Cultures

Abstract

Procedures for asymbiotic germination and seedling development under invitro and ex vitro conditions were investigated for Bletilla striata. Five differentasymbiotic germination media (½ P6668 ¬Phytamax Orchid MaintenanceMedia, ½ P6668 ¬Phytamax Orchid Maintenance Media with coconut water,P723 PhytoTechnology Orchid Seed Sowing Media, P723 PhytoTechnologyOrchid Seed Sowing Media with coconut water, and ½ MS media) for in vitro culture and sphagnum moss for ex vitro culture were examined for theireffectiveness for 8 weeks on seed germination and seedling development ofB. striata. Germination occurred in all media, however, the best germinationrate was obtained in P723 medium with coconut water while the lowestfrequency was obtained in sphagnum moss. Moreover, the highest leafparameters of the seedlings of B. striata developed in ½ MS medium whenthe seedlings in sphagnum moss showed the lowest results. Furthermore, allgerminated protocorms showed rhizoid formation in all media.