In vitro shoot bud differentiation and plantlet regeneration in Celastrus paniculatus Willd.

Multiple shoot buds could be induced directly from internode explants of Celastrus paniculatus inoculated on Murashige and Skoog's (MS) medium containing different growth regulators. The best response was obtained when 4.44 mu M 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP) was incorporated in the medium. Incorporation of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and alpha-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) did not improve response, rather promoted callusing. Adventitious shoot buds could be multiplied and elongated on MS medium containing 2.22 mu M BAP. Rooting of shoots (80 %) was obtained when their bases were dipped in pre-autoclaved indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) solution (2.45 mM) for 10 min followed by their implantation on medium containing 1/4 MS salts, 1.0 % sucrose and 0.6 % agar. Out of 500 plantlets subjected to hardening, 410 were successfully hardened under greenhouse conditions. Twenty plants were established in field while remaining of them were transferred to nursery conditions without any mortality.