Four principally discrete and reliably distinguishable develop-mental stages of germinating seeds could be classified according totheir morphology for both orchid species (Fig. 1).Classification of the developmental stages, according to the irmorphology for both orchid species as indicated above,revealed that the diameters of D. bigibbum var. compactum and D. for mosumgerminating seeds were discrete with significant differencesbetween the four stages (Table 1; Fig. 3). D. formosum germinatesat a significantly slower rate such that within the 12 weeks of theexperimental period, only development up to stage 3 was observed