IN VITRO SHOOT AND LEAF PROLIFERATION OF ENCYCLIA TAMPENSIS (LIND.) ORCHIDS
Encyclia is a genus of orchids with four members native to Florida that are Endangered or commercially exploited. If a commercial orchid tissue culture media was found that could be used to propagate Encyclia, the resulting plants could be introduced into protected habitats to increase the wild populations or could be grown commercially to lessen the demand for collected plants. Six month Encyclia tampensis (Lindl.) seedlings were grown in Orchid Maintenance/Replate Medium w/Banana and Charcoal with 6 g·L–1 agar (C), ½ strength Orchid Multiplication Medium with 6 g·L–1 agar and 10 g·L–1 charcoal (OM), Knudson C Orchid Medium – Morel Modification with 6 g·L–1 agar and 10 g·L–1 charcoal (K), or Vacin and Went Modified Orchid Medium w/agar and sucrose with 10 g·L–1 charcoal (VW) for seven weeks. Plants grown in OM and VW media both produced more shoots and roots (7.56 leaves, 1.92 shoots and 6.67 leaves, 1.76 shoots respectively) than the control medium (5.87 leaves, 1.70 shoots) with OM producing the highest averages. Plants grown in the K medium averaged significantly less shoots and leaves than the other three media (4.94 leaves, 1.35 shoots).