In vitro propagation of Drimia robusta Bak.

Drimia robusta Bak. (Hyacinthaceae) is of medicinal importance in South Africa. In vitro bulblet formation was initiated on bulb scale explants or scales attached to the baseplate on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 0.1 g l(-1) myo-inositol, 30 g l(-1) sucrose, 1 mg l(-1) 1-naphthalene acetic acid and 2 mg l(-1) 6-benzylaminopurine. Bulblets were excised from the explant and placed on the same medium whereafter secondary bulblets formed. Bulblets induced in vitro were rooted in medium containing 1 mg l(-1) naphthalene acetic acid or without hormones ansi acclimatized in a peat:sand:vermiculite mix at the ratio 1:1:1.