Direct in vitro regeneration of the Australian fan flower, Scaevola aemulaR. Br.

This report describes in vitro shoot induction and regeneration response of leaf, node, stem and root explants of an important horticultural species o f the Australian fan flower, Scaevola aemula R. Pr. Multiple shoots were ob tained from node, leaf and stem explants. Node explants were first to respo nd in tissue culture with maximum number of shoots. Multiple shoots were in itiated on shoot induction medium containing 8.8 mu M BAP and 5.0% coconut milk. Presence of BAP or coconut milk alone in the medium was not enough fo r multiple shoot induction. However, further shoot growth did not require B AP and coconut milk in the medium. The regenerated shoots were rooted on ho rmone-foe medium. In vitro grown plantlets readily adapted to glass-house c onditions. The described procedure enables the production of a large number of plants in a short period of time, and thus can be used for assisting co nventional breeding programs and gene transfer studies. (C) 1999 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.