Micropropagation of Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R. Br. through axillary bud culture.

A procedure for rapid in vitro propagation of the aromatic and medicinal plant Hemidesmus indicus (L.) R.Br. (Family Asclepiadaceae) from nodal explants is described. The highest shoot multiplication rate of 8.2 ± 0.4 shoots/explant with a 95% frequency was achieved in S weeks culture period on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 1.15 μM kinetin and 0.054 μM α-naphthaleneacetic acid. Excised shoots were rooted on the same basal medium supplemented with 1.15 μM kinetin and 7.35 μM indole-3-butyric acid. Shoots derived from subcultures exhibited better rooting response than those from primary cultures. After a hardening phase of 2 weeks, there was a 70% transplantation success in the field.