seeds vs. fluff (like in the pod)

[neophyte]

what is the difference between the orchid seeds and the fluff in the pod?

[Orchid Whisperer]

Most of the particles of "fluff" in the pods ARE seeds. There are techniques for separating viable from non- viable seed through flotation in water (more than I can go into here, but you can look up).

[sweetjblue]

This is what I have been told by someone who does their own flasking.

The fluff that you find in seed capsules is the remains of the pollen tubes not seed. The seeds are microscopic, about the size of a pin head.

It is possible if you put the fluff into a flask you will get seedlings, but only because some of the seed was still attached to it. However having fluff in the flask also increases the chance of contamination.

Hope that helps you out.


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[orchidsarefun]

The 'fluff' is probably Nature's way of ensuring
seeds are distributed in the wind. I've had fluff over a fairly wide distance after a pod had dehisced.

Sent from my LG-H901 using Tapatalk

[Orchid Whisperer]

You can see a photomicrograph of orchid seeds at this link:

Terrestrial Orchid Seeds Stock Photo - Image: 55915556

The pale material is the "fluff", while the brown spot in the middle is the seed.

[sweetjblue]

Orchid Whisperer, Sorry to disagree.

The white showing in your example is what is called the cellular sheath. A coating protecting the individual seed itself.

Fluff is what is contained within the capsule along with the seed, the remains of the pollen tubes. I believe this is what neophyte was referring to.

Perhaps I'm mistaken, but this is what I've been told.

Photo from BLO forum and taken by Ben Belton with my additions showing what is termed fluff.

[Orchid Whisperer]

When I've harvested orchid seed for flasking, whether I'm flasking it myself or sending it off to a lab, most of what I collect out of the pod looks fluffy and pretty much the same throughout the pod, at least without magnification.

Some of the fluff has a seed inside a sheath, some does not. You can gravity separate the fluff with the seed from fluff without the seed. The process for separating the seed is described at

http://lincolnorchidsociety.org/flasking/index.html

Read the sterilization process about two thirds of the way down the page. The good seed is denser than the empty fluff and settles to the bottom of a vial during the rinsing process and can be pipetted out.

If you are interested in doing flasking yourself, try the method recommended by one of our orchid board members:
Very Easy Sterilisation Method - My Seedlings

[sweetjblue]

neophyte, Scraping out the seed doing green pod will take with it fluff/fibrous material, compared to dry pod where you can just tap the pod and have mostly seed fall out, but dry pod will require additional work to sterilize the seed.

The link Orchid Whisperer posted works if you don't have a glove box or laminar flow hood at your disposal. I've used it several times with no problem not even doing replates. Just be sure to be mindfull of the times listed or you can "cook" the seeds. I used the middle of the ranges given to be on the safe side.


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