861 PB 540 In Vitro Adventitious Shoot Formation and Plant Regeneration from Culantro (Eryngium foetidium L.) Leaf
Culantro is a perennial herb with odor like that of corinder, native to tropical America and the West Indies. Explants were excised from leaf petiole of mature culantro plant. Explants were cultured on MS alone or supplemented with 4.4, or 13.3 uM BA with 0.5 uM NAA, or supplemented with 0.3, 1.8, 4.5, or 3 uM Thidiazuron (TDZ) wth 0.5 uM NAA. leaf explants formed callus and were transferred to the same medium for shoot induction. Only explants which were cultured on MS supplemented with 13.3 uM BA or 0.9, l.8, 4.5, or 3 UM TDZ produced shoots. Shoots were regenerated in all TDZ-containing media with high 100% frequency. Shoot number increased with the increase of TDZ concentration but shoot length decreased. Although cytokinins are reported to inhibit root initiation, regenerated shoots formed roots with 100% frequency in BA-and TDZ-containing media. Regenerated shoots were transferred to MS containing 3.9 UM TDZ for further growth. Rooted shoots were transferred to soil and normal plants were obtained.