Het belang van mycorrhiza voor de zaadkieming en de vestiging van kiemplanten bij orchideeën : implicaties voor het herstel van orchideeënpopulaties

Orchid seeds are minute, contain very small amounts of nutrient reserves, and the seedlings require a fungal symbiont to become established. Little, however, is known about the fate of orchid seeds after dispersal. Here, we discuss seed dispersal processes and seed germination requirements of orchids and review available data on seed longevity in terrestrial orchids. A case study investigating patterns of seed germination in two populations of the long-lived orchid Orchis purpurea is presented.