[In vitro Regeneration from Bulbous Scales of Fritillaria sonnikovae, an Endemic Species]

Features of in vitro regeneration of Fritillaria sonnikovae from bulb scales were studied. The initiation of shoot formation was obtained on a nutrient medium BDS, supplemented with 5 µM 6-benzylaminopurine and 2 µM α-naphthaleneacetic acid. Optimization of propagation stage was carried out using obtained microbulbs as explants. High regenerative response of explants and shoot multiplication rate were observed on both media supplemented with growth regulators (up to 47% and 4.2 ± 0.6 pcs./explant, respectively) and hormone-free medium (48% and 4.1 ± 0.2 shoots per explant, respectively). It has been established that the ad- dition of growth regulators on the stage of cultivation does not cause increased morphogenic response but contributes to the accelerated initiation and development of microbulbs. Morphological and histological analysis revealed the dynamics of the formation of shoots de novo. In vitro development of F. sonnikovae follows the path of direct organogenesis from the epidermal tissue of the explant.