Direct plantlet regeneration from male inflorescences of medicinal yam (Dioscorea floribunda Mart. & Gal.)

Segments of male inflorescences of medicinal yam (Dioscorea floribunda) cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 13.94 muM kinetin (Kn) resulted in the conversion of floral buds into vegetative buds and these later developed into plantlets. Growth and multiplication of shoots could be obtained by culturing individual shoots in XIS modified basal medium, replacing the MS standard three vitamins with 10.0 mg l(-1) thiamine in addition to 13.94 X Kn. Root induction was also obtained simultaneously from the base of the shoots in the same medium. Such plantlets have been successfully transferred to potted soil, where they grew normally. Plantlets were also made to develop tubers on MS medium with 18.91 muM abscisic acid (ABA) and also with 2.68 muM alpha-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 40-50 gl(-1) sucrose.