In vitro culture of Mondia whitei (Periplocaceae), a threatened Zulu medicinal plant

Single-node explants of Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels derived from in vitr o cultured seedlings were used to produce rooted plantlets on the medium of Murashige and Skoog (1962) supplemented with 1 mgl(-1) BA, both in the abs ence and presence of charcoal, and solidified with 0.3% w/v Gelrite. Eighty five percent of the plants were successfully hardened off under a 20/4 h l ight/dark photoperiod and conditions of 80-100% humidity. M. whitei is a hi ghly prized and consequently overexploited Zulu medicinal plant which is de structively harvested for its strongly aromatic roots. These are used for b oth their medicinal and food spice attributes. This micropropagation protoc ol allows for ca. 2000 plantlets to be produced from a single seed followin g 7 to 8 subcultures at 4 to 6 week intervals.