Abstract:

To investigate the ornamental quality and physiological changes of cut Etlingera elatior flowers at different flowering stages during the vase period，this study systematically observed flowering phenology and morphological variations using cut flowers at different stages. Key morphological parameters including vase life，wilting time，maximum flower diameter，and flower height were recorded，and the relationship between fresh weight changes and ornamental quality was explained. Concurrently，physiological indices and antioxidant enzyme activities were measured in cut flowers at the full-bloom stage during the vase period to reveal their dynamic biochemical changes. Results demonstrated significant variations in duration among different flowering stages，with the bud stage exhibiting a statistically longer duration compared to other phases. Cut flowers harvested at the budding and initial blooming stages exhibited a longer vase life but lower ornamental value，whereas those at the full bloom stage，despite their high ornamental value，had a vase life of only about 6 days. Physiological analyses of full-bloom flowers showed progressively increased levels of soluble protein（SP），malondialdehyde（MDA），and proline (Pro)，coupled with declines in superoxide dismutase（SOD）and peroxidase（POD）activities. Conversely，glutathione reductase（GR）and ascorbate peroxidase（APX）activities initially increased before eventual reduction. These findings suggest that although full-bloom stage cut flowers possess peak ornamental value，their shortened vase life may be closely correlated with oxidative stress exacerbation，aggravated cell membrane damage，and imbalanced antioxidant enzyme systems.

Key words: Etlingera elatior, cut flowers, vase life, morphological observation, physiological indicators, antioxidant activity