Micropropagation of Haloragis eyreana Orch. (Haloragaceae) using field material

Abstract

Haloragis eyreana is an endangered plant endemic to South Australia. In anticipation of the need to translocate plants into areas from which it has been extirpated, it was necessary to develop techniques for rapid vegetative propagation. Field-derived material was successfully decontaminated using HgCl, and NaOCt, and cultured on modified half-strength MS medium supplemented with 0.05 mg/l BA. Shoot proliferation was approximately l0-fold over 4 weeks, and 93oh of cultures initiated roots on the same medium over this time. Rooted plantlets were transferred to soil, and after acclimatization, over 987o survived. After 2 months plants were in flower, and appeared phenotypically similar to parent plants.