In vitro culture of Lilium mackliniae sealy, a rare endemic species

Lilium mackliniae Sealy (Liliaceae), is a rare endemic lily under threat of extinction in Manipur, India. This paper reports the first tissue culture and in vitro seed germination protocol for this species. A range of NAA and BA concentrations was tried for their effects on bulblet induction from mature bulb scales, in vitro-derived bulblet segments and cotyledons as well as on leaf and root segments. Maximum bulblet induction occurred with in vitro-derived bulblet segments on media containing NAA, with an average of 5 bulb lets being produced per explant in 5 weeks. The bulblets rooted freely on the induction medium and could be directly transplanted to the glasshouse without acclimatization. Over 500 bulblets were successfully weaned. Bulblets could also be maintained in vitro on the bulblet induction medium for over an year without any further subculture and thus could act as a medium-term germplasm storage system.