CLONAL PROPAGATION OF Gypsophila aretioides, AN IDEAL ROCK GARDEN PLANT SPECIES

Abstract

Gypsophila aretioides, a cushion form evergreen plant, is a high potential wild species ideal for the use in rock garden, or as a ground cover in sunny dry areas. This plant has the competence to be developed as a new ornamental species. The purpose of this experiment was to provide an efficient micropropagation protocol for G. aretioides in order to facilitate the availability of this species for further studies of domestication. The influence of various concentrations of 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) and thidiazuron (TDZ) was investigated for multiplication stage. TDZ at low concentration of 0.05 mg dm−3 resulted in the maximum shoot (9.7) and leaf (42.3) number. The shoots were best rooted on MS medium containing 0.6 mg dm–3 indolebutyric acid (IBA) with 7.8 roots per shoot. Despite achievement of a successful protocol for in vitro multiplication and root induction of Gypsophila, low survival rate was obtained when rooted explants were exposed to ex vitro conditions. This is an important issue, which requires particular consideration and further studies. The possible reasons contributing to the low acclimatization rate of this species are being discussed.