UPRAWA / ROZMNAŻANIE / 3

Asymbiotic micropropagation of orchids from seeds (flasking)

8.
This is a closeup of a pollinium which has been removed from the flower of a pollen donor plant.

9.
The pollinium is carefully placed in contact with the sticky surface of the stigma of the female parent.

10.
This is an enlarge, but not ripe, several month old capsule of Dendrobium antenatum.

11.
At about 5 months after pollenation the mature capsule is harvested at the yellow stage (between green and brown), and placed in a clean container, where dehiscence occurs.

Seed thus collected will be divided into 3 groups. One will be stored for approx. seven months (dessicated at room temperature) for student use on the day of the class lab. A second group of harvested seed will be sterilized and sown by staff immediately after collecting (6.5 months before the class lab), with an interviening transfer to fresh medium at 4.5 months before class lab, so that students will have seedlings to outplant to the greenhouse on the day of the class lab. The third group of harvested seed will be sown by staff after 5 month storage (2 months before class lab) so that students will have seedlings to transfer.