Howdy, and dare I say this is my first post. I am looking to collect a seed
capsule or two from a couple native orchids here in Iowa. I want to try to
get them going to establish in a couple wet mesic to mesic prairie
reconstructions. The collecting is all above board, by the way.

SO, can anyone steer me to some resources that suggest the best seed culture
techniques. I am going primarily for Spiranthes magnicamporum (great plains
ladies tresses).

Thanks.. THis is a great resource you folks have.

Rich at ISU

Is't Orchids a protected flower? I know all nativ orchides here in Sweden
are protected.
Cheers
Mattias Baecklund
"Richard Pope" skrev i meddelandet
...
Howdy, and dare I say this is my first post. I am looking to collect a
seed
capsule or two from a couple native orchids here in Iowa. I want to try
to
get them going to establish in a couple wet mesic to mesic prairie
reconstructions. The collecting is all above board, by the way.

SO, can anyone steer me to some resources that suggest the best seed
culture
techniques. I am going primarily for Spiranthes magnicamporum (great
plains
ladies tresses).

Thanks.. THis is a great resource you folks have.

Rich at ISU

Hi, Rich.

I have no data specific to Spiranthes magnicamporum, but I do have
firsthand experience with two other membes of Spiranthes, and information
on a third. I would treat all three in a similar manner.

First off, three states categorize the species as endangered
(Georgia, Indiana, and New Mexico), one as threatened (Kentucky), and the
geniuses in Pennsylvania have managed to extirpate it.

The first step is collection of viable seeds. This is best done
with dried capsules that are shedding (dehiscing) seed. A quick assay
using light microscopy at about 100x will demonstrate the presence or
absence of embryos. Seeds should be dried carefully, and stored at 4
degrees C or colder for a couple of months. It is not known if cold
storage is essential to germination, but it does not hurt.

If the seeds are to be sown asymbiotically, they should be
disinfected for 5-15 minutes (if clean) in 5-10% bleach with wetting
agent (0.1% Tween or similar). If the seeds are hydrophobic and resist
wetting (i.e. sinking), and contamination is experienced with this regime,
a quick spin at 1000-1500 rpm in a centrifuge will force disinfectant into
the testa. Similarly, 2-3 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaning bath will help
get disinfectant where it needs to go.

Once disinfected, they should be washed once with sterile
distilled water (two or three rinses are OK, but if the seed does not
sink quickly, you lose too much seed), and sown onto appropriate media.

Germination with other species of spiranthes has indicated that
they are not particular in their requirements. However, formulae that
employ reducing sugars such as glucose inspire germination more rapidly
than those that use sucrose. All other factors being equal, germination is
just as good with either sugar- it just takes longer with sucrose.

Germination has been very good on Western W2.5, and very good with
PhytoTech P-668 with A-111 agar. Other more exotic formulae also work, but
there is little reason to go to such extremes.

Upon germination, replate onto formulae similar to 70% full
strength O-156 with A-111 agar results in exceptional growth. One species
(Spir. cernua from Georgia) even puts out seedling "buds" from the roots.
While this is to be expected from the prolific Spir. cernua odorata
'Chadds Ford' clone, I've never seen it in any other orchid in vitro
before.

De-flasking is tricky, as the synchronicity between seedlings
being "finished" and the correct season for planting is unlikely. We're
still working on this aspect.

Symbiotic germination has been successful using a fungal symbiont
extracted from Spiranthes brevilabris. It has been used to germinate at
least three other spiranthes species, using a routine similar to the
above, sown on oats medium with the fungus instead of sugared medium
without the fungus. It is unlikely you would be able to perform this
technique given the occasionally pathogenic nature of orchid symbionts;
just setting it "wild" in your state would be a very bad idea indeed.

Hope this helps.

The e-mail address in the header goes straight to the FTC since
this is a spam trap. Do not send e-mail to this address.

-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

Thanks for your great help Aaron. From our forays into the wild, it seems
that locally most of the recent finds in central Iowa are indeed S.
magnicamporum, even though S. cernua is listed as the more common species.
Also, we have small populations of S. ovalis here too, and that little guy
is clearly less common. S. cernua and S. magnicamporum are cladistically
quite similar. The scent during flowering is pretty profound, with the heavy
sweet smell of marzipan pretty great.

I know of a friend who has direct seeded (late fall) into a suitable
environment with some success. My guess is that these are not powerfully
difficult. Thanks again.

Rich

"Aaron Hicks" wrote in message
...
Hi, Rich.

I have no data specific to Spiranthes magnicamporum, but I do have
firsthand experience with two other membes of Spiranthes, and information
on a third. I would treat all three in a similar manner.

First off, three states categorize the species as endangered
(Georgia, Indiana, and New Mexico), one as threatened (Kentucky), and the
geniuses in Pennsylvania have managed to extirpate it.

The first step is collection of viable seeds. This is best done
with dried capsules that are shedding (dehiscing) seed. A quick assay
using light microscopy at about 100x will demonstrate the presence or
absence of embryos. Seeds should be dried carefully, and stored at 4
degrees C or colder for a couple of months. It is not known if cold
storage is essential to germination, but it does not hurt.

If the seeds are to be sown asymbiotically, they should be
disinfected for 5-15 minutes (if clean) in 5-10% bleach with wetting
agent (0.1% Tween or similar). If the seeds are hydrophobic and resist
wetting (i.e. sinking), and contamination is experienced with this regime,
a quick spin at 1000-1500 rpm in a centrifuge will force disinfectant into
the testa. Similarly, 2-3 minutes in an ultrasonic cleaning bath will help
get disinfectant where it needs to go.

Once disinfected, they should be washed once with sterile
distilled water (two or three rinses are OK, but if the seed does not
sink quickly, you lose too much seed), and sown onto appropriate media.

Germination with other species of spiranthes has indicated that
they are not particular in their requirements. However, formulae that
employ reducing sugars such as glucose inspire germination more rapidly
than those that use sucrose. All other factors being equal, germination is
just as good with either sugar- it just takes longer with sucrose.

Germination has been very good on Western W2.5, and very good with
PhytoTech P-668 with A-111 agar. Other more exotic formulae also work, but
there is little reason to go to such extremes.

Upon germination, replate onto formulae similar to 70% full
strength O-156 with A-111 agar results in exceptional growth. One species
(Spir. cernua from Georgia) even puts out seedling "buds" from the roots.
While this is to be expected from the prolific Spir. cernua odorata
'Chadds Ford' clone, I've never seen it in any other orchid in vitro
before.

De-flasking is tricky, as the synchronicity between seedlings
being "finished" and the correct season for planting is unlikely. We're
still working on this aspect.

Symbiotic germination has been successful using a fungal symbiont
extracted from Spiranthes brevilabris. It has been used to germinate at
least three other spiranthes species, using a routine similar to the
above, sown on oats medium with the fungus instead of sugared medium
without the fungus. It is unlikely you would be able to perform this
technique given the occasionally pathogenic nature of orchid symbionts;
just setting it "wild" in your state would be a very bad idea indeed.

Hope this helps.

The e-mail address in the header goes straight to the FTC since
this is a spam trap. Do not send e-mail to this address.

-AJHicks
Chandler, AZ

Richard,

You might contact Paul Gripp of Santa Barbara Orchid Estate in Santa
Barbara, CA. He spoke at our society meeting the other evening and
brought in several Spiranthes odorata and one that came from either Iowa
or Illinois, and he now has them growing in his yard. He is very
friendly and helpful; so, you might phone and ask for him or send email:


.. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System
http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

-----------------------------------------------------
Richard Pope wrote:

Howdy, and dare I say this is my first post. I am looking to collect a seed
capsule or two from a couple native orchids here in Iowa. I want to try to
get them going to establish in a couple wet mesic to mesic prairie
reconstructions. The collecting is all above board, by the way.

SO, can anyone steer me to some resources that suggest the best seed culture
techniques. I am going primarily for Spiranthes magnicamporum (great plains
ladies tresses).

Thanks.. THis is a great resource you folks have.

Rich at ISU

Thanks a lot Pam.... Best wishes from Iowa....

Rich

"profpam" wrote in message ...
Richard,

You might contact Paul Gripp of Santa Barbara Orchid Estate in Santa
Barbara, CA. He spoke at our society meeting the other evening and
brought in several Spiranthes odorata and one that came from either Iowa
or Illinois, and he now has them growing in his yard. He is very
friendly and helpful; so, you might phone and ask for him or send email:


. . . Pam
Everything Orchid Management System
http://www.pe.net/~profpam/page3.html

-----------------------------------------------------
Richard Pope wrote:

Howdy, and dare I say this is my first post. I am looking to collect a
seed
capsule or two from a couple native orchids here in Iowa. I want to try
to
get them going to establish in a couple wet mesic to mesic prairie
reconstructions. The collecting is all above board, by the way.

SO, can anyone steer me to some resources that suggest the best seed
culture
techniques. I am going primarily for Spiranthes magnicamporum (great
plains
ladies tresses).

Thanks.. THis is a great resource you folks have.

Rich at ISU