Study on the flower growth and opening to extend the vase life of the cut lotus flower (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.)

Abstract

Morphological and physiological changes were investigated during flower growth and opening to extend the vase life of cut lotus flowers. When holding the flowers in distilled water, the edge of petals and the top edge of petals became black, and the stems were bent after 17 hours. Flowers fully opened and senesced after 25 hours. At full opening flower stage, there were decreases in fresh weight, and content of starch, auxin and zeatin, and increases in dry weight, and content of total sugar, anthocyanins and flavonols, ABA and gibberellin. Petal extract showed the presence two absorption peaks at 354 nm ( due to flavonols) and 535 nm (due to anthocyanins). Among the treatments, the combination of wilted flower (5 % fresh weight) and spraying of 2 mg/L NAA and 10 % coconut water (with 0,1 % Tween 20) gave a 2 days (43,22 hours) longer for cut lotus flowers than the control.