Effect of plant growth regulators on the seed germination of the lady’s slipper orchid Paphiopedilum dianthum

Abstract

The environment has a strong influence to the germination of seeds. In this study, seeds of lady’s slipper orchid at 200 days old were cold treatment (at 5 ± 1 0C) and cultivated on ¼ MS medium combined with different concentrations of GA3 in the darkness. In these conditions, seeds began swollen on the second day, and after one week, seeds were transparent coat. The embryos appeared maximum at the fourth week but not yet rupturing the seed coat. The combination of cold treatment and 0.001 mg/L GA3 stimulated the growth of embryo from the seed. Buds were found on ¼ MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/L IAA and 2.0 mg/L BA. The combination of 2.0 mg/L IAA with 0.1 mg/L BA strongly induced rooting from the shoots. Especially, making wounds on the surface allowed white protocorms to form seedlings and roots on the ¼ MS medium combined with 2.0 mg/L BA.