IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF AN ENDANGERED MEDICINAL PLANT - NILGIRIANTHUS CILIATUS (NEES.) BREMEK

Abstract

In vitro propagation techniques were applied for the mass propagation of an IUCN red-listed medicinal plant Nilgirianthus ciliatus (Nees.) Bremek (Acanthaceae), endemic to the Western Ghats. Leaf, stem-nodal and internodal segments were used as explants. Leaf explants were found to be best suited for callus induction and subsequent organogenesis on Murashige and Skoog's (1962) medium (MS) with 0.5mg/l indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and 5mg/l 6-benzyl adenine (BA). Maximum shoot regeneration from internodal callus was obtained on medium with 0.5mg/l IAA and 5mg/l BA. Direct shoot regeneration from the nodal explants was maximum on the medium containing lmg/1 IAA and 5mg/l BA. The in vitro shoots thus obtained were successfully rooted in MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of IAA (0.5-5mg/l) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) (0.5- 5mg/i) separately. Seventy five per cent of the rooted plantlets survived in the mist chamber after hardening.