The objective of the present paper was to establish a protocol for in vitro multiplication of the Philippine wax flower. Axillary shoots were inoculated in MS medium, holding the following concentrations of plant growth regulators during the isolation stage: without plant growth regulator; benzylaminopurine(BAP) 2.25 mg L-1; BAP 2.25 mg L-1 + naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) 0.93 mg L-1; BAP 2.25 mg L-1 + indoleacetic acid (IAA) 0.87 mg L-1; BAP 4.95 mg L-1; BAP 4.95 mg L-1 + NAA 0.93 mg L-1; BAP 4.95 mg L-1 + IAA 0.87 mg L-1 and shootings from this stage were cultivated in a new MS medium following different combinations of plant growth regulators: without plant growth regulator; BAP 2.25 mg L-1; BAP 3.37 mg L-1; BAP 4.50 mg L-1; BAP 2.25 mg L-1 + NAA 1.12 mg L-1; BAP 3.37 mg L-1 + NAA 2.25 mg L-1; BAP 4.50 mg L-1 + NAA 3.37 mg L-1 and shooting multiplication rate per replicate was evaluated. The best treatment, during the isolation stage, was BAP 4.95 mg L-1 + IAA 0.87 mg L-1. During the multiplication stage, there were three to four shootings per replicate, regardless of the concentrations and combinations of plant growth regulators used. The seedlings rooted, forming clusters on MS medium without plants growth regulators, resulting in eight to ten seedlings per cluster.
Zingiberaceae; micropropagation; plant growth regulators
