Plant regeneration from inflorescence cultures of Gynandropsis pentaphylla DC.

An efficient protocol for shoot regeneration from immature inflorescence of Gynandropsis pentaphylla DC (Capparidaceae) is described. Healthy inflorescences were cultured on MS medium supplemented with BAP, Kn, zeatin, TDZ (0.5 - 5.0 mg/l) alone and in combination with IAA, NAA, IBA (0.5 - 2.0 mg/l). BAP (3.0 mg/l) with IBA (1.0 mg/l) as well as Kn (1.0 mg/l) with TDZ (0.1 mg/l) were found to be effective in inducing callus and in production of shoots and roots. The present investigation also describes the histological studies depicting various stages that occurred during the development of embryoids and shoot buds. The species is so potential that the flower buds on the medium induces callus from each part of the flower bud. All the in vitro raised shoots were transferred to MS rooting liquid medium supplemented with 0.5 - 1.0 mg/l IAA, NAA and IBA. Well rooted plantlets were transferred to polycups containing soil : vermiculite (1:1) for hardening. Finally the hardened plantlets were transferred to field conditions for maximum survivability. The flower is mixoploid and hence the regenerated roots were squashed in acetoorcein to know the ploidy level of the regenerated shoots. All the plants regenerated were shown to be diploid.

In vitro response of encapsulated somatic embryos of Lagerstroemia indica L.

A method to produce encapsulatable units for synthetic seeds was developed in L. indica. Somatic embryos were harvested from leaf derived embryogenic callus on Murashige and Skoog's basal medium supplemented with 2, 4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2, 4-D, 0.5 mg/l), 6-benzyl amino purine (BAP, 1 mg/l) and ascorbic acid (AA, 50 mg/l). The embryos were encapsulated in alginate beads and dehydrated. Germination ability of the artificial seeds were investigated. The frequency of regeneration from the encapsulated embryos was significantly affected by (i) the concentration of alginate (ii) the duration of storage, and (iii) the effect of different types of media. A 2% sodium alginate concentration on MS salts resulted in significantly higher germination frequencies than at other concentrations. L. indica showed maximum germination on MS medium (93.84%) after 6 weeks of culture. The germinated synthetic seeds with well developed roots and shoots were transferred successfully to green house. This is the first report on artificial seeds in Lagerstroemnia indica.