In vitro propagation of an endangered medicinal bulbous plant Sternbergia clusiana Ker-Gawler (Amaryllidaceae).

Sternbergia clusiana belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae. It is an endangered medicinal plant grown in Jordan and neighbouring countries. A protocol has been developed for efficient rapid vegetative propagation of S. clusiana through direct bulblet regeneration. Two types of explants have been used: (1) single-bulb scales, and (2) twin-bulb scale explants. Field-derived material was successfully sterilised using 70% ethanol for 1 min, and 6.5% NaOCl with Tween 80 (2-3 drops 100 ml^-1) for 30 min before dissecting out the bulb scales. Combination treatments were conducted using two types of growth regulators: 0, 1, 5, 10 or 20 µM indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) and benzyladenine (BA). The highest rate of regeneration from single-bulb scales (73%) was observed in induction medium containing 20 µM IBA without added BA. In addition, 73% of twin-bulb scale explants were induced to form bulblets directly when cultured on a medium containing 10 µM IBA and 1.0 µM BA. Bulblet plants were rooted on similar medium without any growth regulators. A plant regeneration system from single-scale and twin-bulb scale explants of S. clusiana was thus established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]