Efficient <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro</Emphasis> bulblet regeneration from immature embryos of endangered <Emphasis Type="Italic">Sternbergia fischeriana</Emphasis>

Sternbergia fischeriana is an endangered geophyte and therefore in vitro micropropagation of this plant will have great importance for germplasm conservation and commercial production. Bulb scale and immature embryo explants of S. fischeriana were cultured on different nutrient media supplemented with various concentrations of plant growth regulators. Immature embryos produced higher number of bulblets than bulb scales. Large numbers of bulblets were regenerated (over 80 bulblets/explants) from immature embryos on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 4 mg l^–1 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and 0.25 mg l^–1 -naphthaleneacetic (NAA) or 2 mg l^–12,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) after 14 months of culture initiation. Regenerated bulblets were kept at 5 °C for 5 weeks and then transplanted to a potting mixture.     

High frequency shoot regeneration from immature embryo explants of Hungarian vetch

An in vitro propagation protocol has been developed from mature trees of Pittosporum napaulensis. The best bud proliferation (83.1%), shoot number (21 axillary shoots/ explant) and shoot length (5.5 cm) was achieved in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 5.0 μM N⁻⁶ benzyladenine and 0.1 μM α- naphthalene acetic acid. Of the three cytokinins tested (N⁻⁶ benzyladenine, kinetin and thidiazuron), N⁻⁶ benzyladenine proved to be the best for shoot induction. Shoot regeneration potential varied among genotypes. Regenerated shoots rooted after 48 hours treatment on half-strength MS liquid medium supplemented with 20 μM indole-3-butyric acid. Rooted shoots transferred to 120 g (w/v) soilrite + sand + soil (1:1:1) mixture showed 70% survival. Twenty-one plantlets are growing well in green house conditions. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.