TISSUE-CULTURE OF HYPERICUM BRASILIENSE CHOISY - SHOOT MULTIPLICATIONAND CALLUS INDUCTION

Hypericum brasiliense, anon-domesticated plant has been shown to have useful medicinal properties. This plant has not been cultivated so a p rotocol for mass propagation based on selection of superior clones was developed and a protocol established for the culture of callus cells that could be used for in vitro metabolite production. A micropropagat ion method based on amplification of nodal buds was developed, by sele ction, from ten seedling clones that were examined for growth rate, mu ltiplication rate and rooting. The effect of various basal media, grow th regulator types and concentrations were examined for optimal callus induction. Optimal callus induction occured on either Murashige and S koog's or Gamborg's media supplemented with 1 to 2 mg 1(-1) of 2,4-dic hlorophenoxyacetic acid.