MICROPROPAGATION OF HEMIDESMUS-INDICUS (L) R-BR THROUGH AXILLARY BUD CULTURE

A procedure for rapid in vitro propagation of the aromatic and medicin al plant Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R.Br. (Family Asclepiadaceae) from no dal explants is described. The highest shoot multiplication rate of 8. 2 +/- 0.4 shoots/explant with a 95% frequency was achieved in 5 weeks culture period on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1.15 mu M kinetin and 0.054 mu M alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid. Excised shoots were rooted on the same basal medium supplemented with 1.15 mu M kine tin and 7.35 mu M indole-3-butyric acid. Shoots derived from subcultur es exhibited better rooting response than those from primary cultures. After a hardening phase of 2 weeks, there was a 70% transplantation s uccess in the field.