▁stage ▁is ▁the ▁proto c orm , ▁and ▁the ▁following ▁stage ▁is ▁the ▁adult ▁orch id . ▁Or ch id ▁se eds ▁are ▁very ▁small ▁( 0 . 3 5 mm ▁to ▁ 1 . 5 0 mm ▁long ), ▁sp ind le - sh aped , ▁and ▁have ▁an ▁opening ▁at ▁the ▁pointed ▁end . ▁Each ▁seed ▁has ▁an ▁emb ry o ▁that ▁is ▁und iffer enti ated ▁and ▁la cks ▁root ▁and ▁shoot ▁mer ist ems . ▁An ▁orch id ▁seed ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁enough ▁nut r itional ▁support ▁to ▁grow ▁on ▁its ▁own . ▁Instead , ▁it ▁gets ▁nut ri ents ▁needed ▁for ▁germ ination ▁from ▁fung al ▁sym b ion ts ▁in ▁natural ▁settings . ▁When ▁the ▁orch id ▁se eds ▁germ inate ▁they ▁form ▁intermediate ▁structures ▁called ▁proto c orm s , ▁young ▁plants ▁which ▁have ▁germ in ated ▁but ▁lack ▁leaves ▁and ▁which ▁consist ▁mainly ▁of ▁par en chy ma ▁cells . ▁In fect ed ▁proto c orm s ▁tend ▁to ▁develop ▁an ▁active ▁mer ist em ▁within ▁a ▁few ▁days . ▁In ▁the ▁adult ▁stage , ▁many ▁orch ids ▁have ▁a ▁small ▁amount ▁of ▁thick ▁un branch ed ▁roots ▁which ▁results ▁in ▁a ▁root ▁system ▁with ▁a ▁small ▁surface ▁area ▁that ▁is ▁favor able ▁to ▁potentially ▁my cot roph ic ▁t issue . ▁ ▁Or ch ids ▁lack ing ▁ch lor oph yll , ▁called ▁ach lor oph yll ous ▁my co h eter ot roph s , ▁will ▁retain ▁their ▁fung al ▁sym b ion