In vitro micro-propagation of endangered ornamental plant-Neotchihatchewia isatidea (Boiss.) Rauschert

The ornamental plant, Neotchihatchewia isatidea, is an endangered species of Turkey and threatened by complete extinction in the future. Therefore, in vitro multiplication of this species can be valuable forcommercial production and germplasm conservation. Immature embryos of N. isatidea were cultured for initiation on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with N6-benzylamino-purine (BAP)and -naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). Shoot primordia were visible within 5 - 6 weeks and the shoot primordia later developed into normal shoots 10 - 12 weeks after the culture initiation on calli developedfrom immature embryos. Shoot tips were also excised from developed plantlets for direct shoot organogenesis and cultured on MS shoot induction medium supplemented with BAP (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0mg/l), kinetin (KIN) (0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 mg/l) and thidiazuron (TDZ) (0.05, 0.10 and 0.50 mg/l). Direct multiple shoots from shoot tips developed in most media tested. High shoot multiplication (3.73), high rooting(53 %) number of root per shoot (3.66) and survival ratio (46.6 %) were achieved