Developing embryos and mature seeds can be grown on a tissue culture medium to attain usable seedlings.
Embryo culture is used to grow embryos from hybrid crosses where the embryo fails to reach maturity on the plant (embryo rescue).
Excised under developed embryos from species with morphological dormancy can be used to shorten the time to germination.
Orchid seeds are so small that they lack food reserves and do not germinate readily in the greenhouse.
However, some orchid seeds germinate well in tissue culture.
