Micropropagation of Elaeocarpus robustus Roxb.

Multiple shoots were obtained from shoot tips and nodal explants of 20-year-old trees of Elaeocarpus robustus on Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with 0.5 mg l^–1 each of BA and Kn. Explants taken from in vitro-proliferated shoots subsequently produced multiple shoots when cultured on the same basal medium containing 0.5 mg l^–1 each of BA and Kn. Repeated subculture resulted in rapid shoot multiplication at an average rate of 10 new shoots per subculture. The addition of CM (10%) and CH (100 mg l^–1) to the medium enhanced the number of shoots up to 20 per subculture and increased the length of shoots. In vitro-raised shoots were rooted on half-strength MS medium containing 1.0 mg l^–1 IBA and 0.5 mg l^–1 IAA. Following transplantation in the field 85% of the plantlets survived and grew uniformly. Received: 17 March 1995 / Revision received: 30 December 1997 / Accepted: 9 January 1998