Micropropagation and conservation of rare medicinal plant Wattakaka volubilis (Linn.) Stapf

A micropropagation protocol for the important medicinal plant species Wattakaka volubilis was developed using shoot tip and nodal explants by culturing on Murashige-Skoog (MS) media fortified with 1.5 mg/L BAP ill combination with 0.7 mg/L Kn that resulted in 5.3 +/- 1.4 multiple shoots per explant. Maximum shoot length observed was 5.8 +/- 1.1 cm on media supplemented with 1.5 mg/L BAP and 0.6 mg/L Kn. The in vitro raised micro shoots produced highest percentage of rooting (85%) in MS media augmented with 1.0 mg/L IBA. The hardened plantlets were acclimatized in the green house conditions and then reintroduced in the Herbal garden attached to the Centre in which 76% of the plants survived.