Asymbiotic in vitro germination and seed quality assessment of Australian terrestrial orchids
Nicole Dowling A B and Manfred Jusaitis A B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A South Australian Seed Conservation Centre, Botanic Gardens of Adelaide, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
B School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: manfred.jusaitis@sa.gov.au
Australian Journal of Botany 60(7) 592-601 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT12133
Submitted: 23 May 2012 Accepted: 6 August 2012 Published: 17 September 2012
Abstract
Determining the seed quality and germination requirements for threatened orchid species in storage is vital for future conservation efforts. Seeds of many Australian terrestrial orchid species are held in conservation collections around the country, but few have been germinated in vitro, fuelling concerns over their long-term viability. This study tested three methods of assessing orchid seed quality; asymbiotic germination was compared with vital staining using triphenyltetrazolium chloride or fluorescein diacetate. Six culture media were examined for efficacy in promoting asymbiotic seed germination of four Australian terrestrial orchid species (Pterostylis nutans, Microtis arenaria, Thelymitra pauciflora and Prasophyllum pruinosum). Germination occurred on all media but germination rates were consistently highest on BM1 and development was most advanced on BM1, P723 and Malmgren media. Subsequent trials tested the efficacy of BM1 for asymbiotic germination of additional genera (Caladenia, Calochilus and Diuris), several congeneric species, and two species collected from several different provenances within each of their ranges. The results indicate that asymbiotic germination on BM1 medium is an effective technique for testing the performance of Australian terrestrial orchid seeds. The efficacy of vital stains to determine seed viability, however, remains uncertain, as significant disagreement between degree of staining and germinability was observed for some species.
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