In Vitro Flowering of Orchid (Dendrobium Candidum)

Abstract

Dendrobium candidiun, Wall, ex Lindi is a wild orchid specics from China.Normally, it takes 3-4 years before it is capable of flowering. The effects of plant hormones and polyamines on flower initiation have been investigated in tissue culture of this species. The most significant result presented here is that we could shorten the flowering time from 3-4 years to 3-6 months for cultured protocorms or shoots by the exogenous application of polyamines and plant growth regulators(BA and NAA), achieving a flowering frequency of greater than 36%. ABA was also showed to play an important role in flower induction. After the shoots were treated in ABA containing medium and then transferred onto MS medium with BA, the flowering frequency increased to 82.8%. These observations on the induction of precocious flowering usually occurred only when the root formation was completely inhibited. The developmental stage of the experimental materials protocorms, shoots and plantlets) also effect In vitro flowering.Key wordsFloweringOrchidIn vitro