Abstract
In this study, seeds of 10 species of epiphytic orchids were examined using light and scanning electron microscope. Quantitative and qualitative characters were analyzed. All the presently investigated seeds showed are transparent with visible embryo and remarkable embryo color variations (such as pale yellow, light yellow, shiny yellow to yellow, orange, and white). The species showed two groups in seed shape (fusiform and filiform), prolate and oval-shaped embryo, positioned at the center of the long axis and near apical pole. Embryo in prolate shaped and near apical pole position was only in D. antennatum. Based on our investigation, there are variations in seed and embryo volume as well as percentage air space in different taxa of orchids. The highest air space percentages were found in D. leporinum. According to the ornamentation of testa cells, 3 types of seeds were discovered in this genus. Additionally, the clear variation in the testa ornamentation pattern includes the species of D. leporinum, where the testa cells were in the medial regular rectangles, but in the apical and basal pole they are polygonal and irregularly oriented; the testa cells of D. antennatum are polygonal and irregularly oriented and those of D. purpureum are longitudinally oriented with regular rectangles.
Highlights
Indonesia has more than 5000 species of orchids spread in Islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Jawa, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua
A total of 10 species from Indonesia were studied based on their seed morphology and morphometry. ese Dendrobium species are a collection of DD Orchids Nursery that are used as crosses. e purpose of the study was to investigate the range of variability
In the 10 species observed, the seeds were generally fusiform in shape except in D. leporinum, which is filiform in shape, and the majority had a central embryo position; the seeds of D. antennatum are transparent with small embryo located in the near micropylar pole and white color in testa (Figures 1(a) and 1(b))
Summary
Indonesia has more than 5000 species of orchids spread in Islands of Sumatra, Kalimantan, Jawa, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua. While some studies [8, 9]support this hypothesis, other investigations show the systematic and taxonomic value of seed micromorphology is limited [10,11,12,13]. Ese differences have served as taxonomic and/or phylogenetic markers on seeds of native California orchids and related species [18,19,20,21]. Several studies on the morphology of orchid seeds have been carried out including 19 orchids from Turkey [22], genus Vanilla [14], Paphiopedilum and Cypripedium [23], 13 species in tribe Chloraeeae [24], 95 species of 34 genera from the Gulf of Guinea [25], ten Dendrobium species using 13 quantitative trait descriptors [26], and other groups in genus Portulaca (Portulacaceae) [15]. Studies on native Indonesian orchid seeds covering morphometry and morphology, especially Dendrobium, have not been found. A total of 10 species from Indonesia were studied based on their seed morphology and morphometry. ese Dendrobium species are a collection of DD Orchids Nursery that are used as crosses. e purpose of the study was to investigate the range of variability
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