Rapid clonal propagation of Pinellia ternata by tissue culture

Adventitious buds or protocorm-like bodies were regenerated directly from excised explants without intervening callus. Differences in the ability of regeneration were observed among different plant organs with bulbils showing the highest regenerative ability followed by leaf blade and petiole. Ability of vegetative propagation of bulbil could be maintained by alternate solid-and liquid-medium culture. Theoretically, 1.7×10(27) plantlets could be produced from a single bulbil by this technique within one year based on the production and rapid growth of protocorm-like bodies and adventitious buds. Concentration of MS salts, NAA and sucrose influenced not only root formation from the differentiated adventitious buds, but also root number and length. For root formation, the best combination was one-half strength MS salts with 3-5% sucrose and 1 mg/l NAA. The high survival rate of 96% was recorded when plantlets were transplanted into a mixture of vermiculite:loam soil:peat moss (1:2:1). Plants from in vitro culture were morphological similar to field-grown plants. The acute toxicity of crude extracts from protocorm-like bodies was about one-fourth that of extracts from tubers of field-grown plants when tested with white mice. Tissue culture has potential for clonal propagation of Pinellia ternata plants for commercial use.