CLONAL MULTIPLICATION OF GARDENIA-JASMINOIDES ELLIS THROUGH AXILLARY BUD CULTURE

An efficient clonal multiplication system was developed for in vitro p ropagation of crocin - producing Gardenia jasminoides Ellis plants. Mu rashige and Skoog's (MS) medium containing 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP 1 mg l-1) and indole-3-butyric acid (IBA 1 mg l-1) resulted in multiple shoot initiation at the rate of 21 shoots per explant in 60 d of cultu re. Transfer of the microshoots into liquid MS medium supplemented wit h BAP (5 mg l-1) with two subcultures of 15 d duration in the same med ium resulted in 400 +/- 25 shoots per explant. Efficient rooting was a chieved in MS medium supplemented with alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid (5 mg l-1). The in vitro raised plants were hardened in a greenhouse and transplanted to the field successfully. The method described will be useful for rapid multiplication of Gardenia for commercial exploitatio n.