Env Exp Biol (2011) 9: 71–74

In vitro cultivation and root initiation of the endangered plant Pulsatilla patens

Abstract

Pulsatilla patens (L.) Mill. is endangered due to habitat loss and degradation by various factors including heavy overgrowth of vegetation and a dense moss layer. In the present study, a suitable rooting medium for the difficult-to-root species P.&nbap;patens was developed on the basis of multistage rooting experiments. The best rooting was obtained in darkness for five days on a half-diluted Murashige-Skoog medium supplemented with 5 mg L^–1 α-naphthaleneacetic acid and riboflavin followed by auxin photooxidation. It was concluded that, for in vitro formation of good quality roots on explants, it is important to provide exogenous auxins during root induction and to reduce auxin content during the expression stage. In vitro rooted plantlets of P. patens successfully acclimatized ex vitro in a peat substrate mixed with sand, and they developed well-branched roots and healthy leaf rosettes. After transplantation to semi-natural conditions, plants started to flower after a year.