Clonal Multiplication of Pinellia ternata by Tissue Culture

In M URASHIGE and S KOOG'S liquid medium supplemented with 0.25 ppm 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid(2,4-D) a tuber segment reached a fresh weight multiplication ratio of 200 when grown for 4 weeks at a rotation speed of 60 rev/min, at 25 degrees and in continuous light. The growth ability was maintained for 5 generations. Addition of 0.5 ppm 2,4-D and 1 ppm kinetin stimulated production of a maximum number of regenerated plantlets from the tissue mass segment. The regeneration ability was also estimated. It is theoretically possible to obtain more than 4 x 10 (23) plants from a single tuber in a year by this clonal propagation technique.