General Information
The seed of this species was purchased form Chris Greenwell from Bulgaria. Flower color is variable but generally pink.. The labellum typically is three lobed. Leaves are not spotted. The species is found in damp meadows, fens, and marshes on chalk or limestone soils often in alpine regions. Likes full sun but is also found in semi-shade.
Plating Media: R medium + 2 uM 2ip + 4, 1 cm3 cubes Russet potato sliced in quarters. 25 mins. 0.525% Chlorox bleaching (no charcoal). Seeds were plated 10/9/11 on 150 mm petri dishes containing 100 ml of media. Plates were sealed with parafilm and incubated in the dark at room temperature ( approx. 23-26 o C). Plates were examined on Jan. 7, 2012 and excellent germination was observed but many protocorms had turned brown. The protocorms were at the round top stage. The presence of numerous dead protocorms suggests either to replate earlier or else try a different media. Malmgren suggest incubating the seeds on media for 8 weeks in the frig before trying to effect germination.
Number of Days between Plating and Replating: approximately 90 days
Replating Media: R medium + 1, 1 cm3 cube Russet potato sliced in quarters + 20 ml/l pineapple juice + 0.5g/l charcoal. Replating was done in wide mouth pint jars containing 200 ml of media on Jan. 7, 2012. Replates were kept in the dark. Replates were examined on 8/20/2012 after 215 days. The plants showed excellent shoot growth with shoots from 1/2 inch to 1.5 inches with most shoots about 1 inch. The shoots were stout and not spindly. Good root development was also observed with numerous long roots. The roots looked healthy and no signs of phenolic compounds (this would be hard to see with the presence of charcoal--- but the roots looked excellent). Eleven jars of seedlings were placed in the frig on Aug. 20, 2012 to start vernalization.
Number of Days between Replating and Vernalization: 215 days
Number of Days between start and end of Vernalization: ---
Date to Initiate Plating: 10/9
Date to Replate: Jan. 7
Date to start to Vernalize: August. 20 (215 days after replating)
Results after Vernalization:
2013: Note. The presence of many dead protocorms present in the petri dishes strongly suggests that this species needs a period of cold temperature to effect germination. I was able to get adequate number of seedlings without this cooling period but it is not advisable. In 2013 I am conducting an experiment by plating the seed to this species at 20 C and at 4 C. Results will be forthcoming.
Results After Outplanting in Media: