ABSTRACT
The orchid seed consists of a bundle of cells surrounded by a harder seed coat. The seed contains no endosperm or nutrient reserve and is thus small and lightweight. In the natural environment the seed relies on the help of a fungus for germination. The probability of an orchid seed coming into contact with the right mycorrhizal fungus in nature is low and only a few of the millions of seeds produced by a single orchid plant will germinate. The seed swells by taking up moisture and in addition to this the mycorrhizal fungus hyphae will invade the seed coat. This usually takes place through the funicle cells at the end of the seed that used to be attached to the tissue inside the seed capsule. Flasks with the explants placed in liquid media on a shaker is another option for obtaining undifferentiated growth of the explant tissue. This method may also prove worthwhile pursuing for indigenous species.
