ISHS Acta Horticulturae 616: I International Symposium on Acclimatization and Establishment of Micropropagated Plants
MICROPROPAGATION AND STABILITY OF EUPHORBIA PUGNIFORMIS CRISTATE FORM |
| Authors: | G. Balotis, M. Papafotiou |
| Keywords: | Fasciation, fertilization, succulents, nitrogen, nutrition, propagation |
| Abstract:
Euphorbia pugniformis, is a thornless small succulent that in its normal form has two to three rows of lateral shoots around the deepen tip of a main shoot. The laterals are cylindrical and bear tubercles with one leaflet each. The species has two cristate forms; one with a cristate central shoot and normal lateral shoots developed on it, and another with cristate lateral shoots only, without main shoot. As the cristate forms do not flower, the method for their propagation employed is by cuttings. In the present work a protocol for micropropagation has been developed. 80% of tubercle explants, from the tip of cristate lateral shoots, gave cristate shoots of both forms, when cultured on agar-solidified MS medium with 20 g l-1sucrose and 0.1 mg l-1 NAA and BA, while 20% gave normal shoots. 55% of in vitro regenerated cristate shoots rooted after three months culture on the initiation medium; 67% rooted when transferred to MS with 0.5 mg l-1 IBA. 95-100% of rooted shoots were acclimatized ex vitro in intermitted mist. During in vitro culture or after ex vitro establishment quite a lot of the cristate shoots reverted into the normal form. The degree of stability of cristate shoots in vitro was tested under low and high nitrogen concentrations. 75% reduction of the MS nitrogen salts concentration increased the percentage of cristate shoots regeneration to 90% and eliminated their reversion into normal form. 25 and 50% increase of nitrogen salts concentration reduced the percentage of explant cristate shoot formation to 60 and 20%, respectively. | |
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