Wang Jin;Virginia R Walter

;Southwest Forestry College, Kunming 650224, P.R China

vernalization;plant growth regulators;flowering;onithogalum 'chesapeake snowflake'

The effect of vernalization and two growth regulators Fascination~(TM) and Pro-Gibb~(R) on the growth, inflorescence development and flowering of Ornithogalum' Chesapeake Snowflake' was studied. Regardless of growth regulator treatment, chilling bulbsfor 3 weeks at 10°C before planting accelerated flowering of the first inflorescence by 5 to 6 days, elongated floral stem length by 1.5 to 2 cm and shortened leaf length by 4 to 5 cm as compared with non-chilled bulbs. When bulbs were chilled 3 weeksat 10°C before planting, Fascination 2% and Pro-Gibb accelerated flowering of the first inflorescence by 2 to 6 days respectively as compared with the control, When bulbs were not chilled before planting, Fascination 2% and Pro-Gibb accelerated flowering of the first inflorescence by 6 to12 days respectively as compared with the control, the lengths of the leaves and the inflorescences were not affected by PGR treatment. Higher rates of Pro-Gibb (100 mg-L~(-1) and 200 mg-L~(-1)) and more amount of Fascination 2% (100 mu L and 200 mu L) can cause abortion of inflorescence.