<i style="">In vitro</i> propagation of <i style="">Dendrobium microbulbon</i> A. Rich―A rare ethnomedicinal herb

Abstract

<smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"> <i style="">Dendrobium microbulbon</i> A. Rich (Orchidaceae) is a small epiphytic rare orchid used in stomachache by the tribal people of Gujarat. The present study deals with the development of a suitable protocol for its clonal propagation using pseudobulbs as explants. Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium supplemented with various concentrations of auxin and cytokinin was used either alone or in combination for induction, multiplication, elongation and rooting of <i style="">in</i> <i style="">vitro </i>shoots. MS medium fortified with 3% sucrose, 7.5 mg L^-1 indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 20 mg L^-1benzyl aminopurine (BAP) showed axillary bud initiation. MS medium with 2.0 mg L^-1 BAP favoured production of maximum number of shoots (39 shoots), elongation of shoots as well as bulblets formation. <i style="">In vitro</i> raised shoots were rooted on Knop salts with MS vitamins and MS iron salts. During acclimatization, 60% of the plantlets survived after their removal from <i style="">in vitro</i> conditions. </smarttagtype>