Articles
IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF AN EUPHORBIA MILII HYBRID
Article number
748_33
Pages
241 – 246
Language
English
Abstract
Euphorbia milii is native of Madagascar and belongs to the Spurge family.
Commonly named crown of thorns, it is a woody shrub, very spiny, with milky latex that can reach a height of 1.5 m with an equal spread.
It is usually grown as a flowered pot plant but can also be used in the landscape as a dwarf shrub or ground cover.
There are several species, subspecies and varieties as well as hybrids, developed over the 1990s in Thailand, which make it a complex group with hundreds of variations on the theme.
In order to increase the knowledge of the propagation techniques, a micropropagation trial has been carried out with the aim to define a protocol for a massive production of an Euphorbia milii hybrid.
A high percentage of sterile explants was obtained from dissected meristems of blossom buds.
After approximately 30 days, the plantlets were multiplied onto a medium based on Murashige and Skoog (1962) salts and vitamins, enriched with 0.30 mg L-1 BA. In the rooting phase, the plants were treated with increasing concentrations of IAA (0 0.15 0.30 0.60 mg L-1) and 2 concentrations of sucrose (1530 g L-1). The medium with 30 g L-1 sucrose and 0.15 mg L-1 IAA gave, in about 30 days the highest rooting percentage that gave the highest rooting percentage (75%). The rooted plants were placed ex vitro in a pre-sterilized peat-perlite substrate (VV 1:1) and transferred in a bench under mist for the acclimatization.
After 15 days, 71.25% of the plants appeared vigorous and healthy.
Commonly named crown of thorns, it is a woody shrub, very spiny, with milky latex that can reach a height of 1.5 m with an equal spread.
It is usually grown as a flowered pot plant but can also be used in the landscape as a dwarf shrub or ground cover.
There are several species, subspecies and varieties as well as hybrids, developed over the 1990s in Thailand, which make it a complex group with hundreds of variations on the theme.
In order to increase the knowledge of the propagation techniques, a micropropagation trial has been carried out with the aim to define a protocol for a massive production of an Euphorbia milii hybrid.
A high percentage of sterile explants was obtained from dissected meristems of blossom buds.
After approximately 30 days, the plantlets were multiplied onto a medium based on Murashige and Skoog (1962) salts and vitamins, enriched with 0.30 mg L-1 BA. In the rooting phase, the plants were treated with increasing concentrations of IAA (0 0.15 0.30 0.60 mg L-1) and 2 concentrations of sucrose (1530 g L-1). The medium with 30 g L-1 sucrose and 0.15 mg L-1 IAA gave, in about 30 days the highest rooting percentage that gave the highest rooting percentage (75%). The rooted plants were placed ex vitro in a pre-sterilized peat-perlite substrate (VV 1:1) and transferred in a bench under mist for the acclimatization.
After 15 days, 71.25% of the plants appeared vigorous and healthy.
Publication
Authors
M. Airò, G.V. Zizzo, B. Ruffoni
Keywords
micropropagation, rooting, auxin, benziladenine
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