Studies on the Dormancy of Bulbs and Corms : I Freesia, Iris and Gladiolus

This experiment was performed to clarify the ecology of dormancy of bulbs by studying the effects of some chemicals, which had been used to break the dormancy of some seeds, buds, bulbs and corms, on the breaking of dormacy of iris bulbs, and corms and cormels of freesia and gladilus. The results obtained are summarized as follows. 1. Aqueous solution of Ethrel at the concentration of 1,000 ppm was markedly effective in breaking the dormancy of iris bulbs and gladiolus corms. Ethrel was also effective to some extent in breaking the dormancy of gladiolus cormels. 2. Aqueous solution of calcium cyanamide at the concentration of three percent was much ecffective in breaking the dormancy of freesia corms and cormels and fulled gladiolus cormels. This solution was also effective to some extent to corms and unfulled cormels of gladiolus. 3. One percent solution of ethylene chlorohydrin was rather effevtive to hulled cormels of gladiolus, and also a little effective to its corms. ....