Full Length Research Paper

Callus regeneration from stem explants of Pseudarthira viscida (L.) Wight and Arn. – A vulnerable medicinal plant

D. Vinothkumar¹, S. John Britto¹*, J. Sebastinraj¹, J. Philip Robinson¹ and S. Senthilkumar²

¹The Rapinat Herbarium and Centre for Molecular Systematics St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous) Tiruchirappalli – 620 002, India.

²Department of Plant Biology and Plant Biotechnology St. Joseph’s College (Autonomous) Tiruchirappalli – 620 002, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: sjbrittorht@yahoo.com

Tel: +9443411296/04312700052. Fax: 04312721475.

Accepted 14 September, 2006

An in vitro propagation protocol has been developed for Pseudarthira viscida (L.) Wight and Arn. (Papilionaideae), a vulnerable medicinal plant from stem callus was used for axillary shoot multiplication. The plant was standardized by using MS (Murashige and Skoog) medium containing 3% (w/v) sucrose, supplemented with a cytokinin (BAP, KN) maximum number of shoot (29.87±5.34) were observed on the medium containing 0.6 mg/l BAP after three weeks of culture. Single shoots were induced and elongated on MS medium supplemented with BAP+NAA (0.4 + 0.04 mg/l). The elongated shoots were rooted in half MS medium with 0.4 mg/l IBA, and then were successfully hardened and transferred to the field.

Key words: In vitro regeneration, micropropagation, vulnerable, Pseudarthria viscida, plantlets.