In vitro propagation of Alexandrian laurel (Danae racemosa L. Moench), a valuable ornamental plant

To overcome the limitations of traditional propagation, this research was initiated to develop an alternative means for efficient production of Alexandrian laurel (Danae racemosa L. Moench). An in vitro propagation protocol has been developed for Danae racemosa L. Moench using seeds as a source of material for culture initiation. Seedlings were produced after seeds were cultured for 3 month on MS (Murashige and Skoog, 1962) medium. Shoot multiplication occurred on MS medium with or without 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) with 100% multiplication percentage. However, shoot number was significantly increased from an average of 2.8 to more than six with the addition of 5 or 25 μM BAP. Among two indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) treatments tested for rooting of seedlings, incorporation of 5 μM IBA in MS medium significantly increased rooting percentage to 86.4% compared with 71.2% without IBA. The greatest number of roots (three) was produced by 5-minute IBA pulse. However, both IBA treatments significantly reduced root length. The longest root (12.8 mm) was observed on MS medium without any IBA treatment and the shortest (6.1 mm) was produced by IBA pulse. In vitro-propagated plantlets grew well after transfer to a substrate of peat and pine bark (1:1) in the greenhouse. No morphological variation was observed.