Resumen

TORRES, Jhonathan; LASKOWSKI, Libia  y  SANABRIA, María E. Environmental effect during growth on anatomical characteristics of leaf epiderm in Cattleya jenmanii Rolfe. Bioagro [online]. 2006, vol.18, n.2, pp.93-99. ISSN 1316-3361.

The orchid C. jenmanii is an important endemic ornamental plant in Venezuela. In this research, leaf epidermal structure development under three environments (orchid house, in vitro multiplication phase and acclimatization) was compared.  Adult plants were cultivated in orchid house, and organogenic lines propagated in vitro using Murashige-Skoog medium. Rooted micropropagated plants were acclimatized in a mist propagator for one week, humid chamber for four weeks, and orchid house during three weeks. The samples were processed by means of classical microtechnique procedures. The leaf epiderm in vitro development was abnormal, with increased dimensions of typical epidermic cells, reduction in anticlinal wall thickness, reduction of stomata size, and neo-formation of stomata and epidermic hairs in the adaxial surface. In contrast, leaves developed during acclimatization showed a reversion of abnormalities observed in vitro, with an increase of stomata size and anticlinal walls thickness. However, the permanence of adaxial leaf hairs and stomata suggest an incomplete adaptation of leaves to the external environment during the eight-week acclimatization.

Palabras clave : In vitro propagation; acclimatization; orchids.