<smarttagtype namespaceuri="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" name="place"> Micropropagation and ecorestoration of <i style="">Decalepis arayalpathra</i> (Joseph & Chandra.) Venter—An endemic and endangered ethnomedicinal plant of Western Ghats </smarttagtype>

Abstract

Single nodes from young top shoots of <i style="">Decalepis</i> <i style="">arayalpathra</i> were cultured on Murashige and Skoog’s (MS) agar medium supplemented with 0.1 to 5.0 mg l^-1 BAP. All the concentrations of BAP induced single axillary shoot of varying length. However, MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg l^-1 BAP supported rapid growth and produced the longest shoots (6.8 cm) in 60 days. For further multiplication, the nodes and shoot tips from <i style="">in vitro</i> derived shoots were recultured on MS medium fortified with 0.5 mg l^-1 BAP, which produced the 8 cm long shoots having 5-7 nodes in 30 days period. Further, the top microshoot cuttings (3-5 cm long) with 2-3 nodes, subcultured onto MS medium supplemented with 1.5 mg l^-1 IAA, produced an average of 6.3 roots in 30 days period. The rooted plants after hardening were reintroduced into their natural habitat at Kallar reserve forest, Thiruvananthapuram. After two years, 84% survival of reintroduced plants was recorded.