Conservation and propagation of high altitude medicinal and aromatic plant: Hedychium spicatum

The micropropagation of H.spicatum, a medicinal and aromatic plant was investigated as an option for conservation and propagation, as wild populations are fast depleting. The source of raw material is rhizomes of plants that are collected from the wild. There is no planned cultivation of the plant. Multiple shoot cultures were established on MS medium supplemented with BAP and IAA from the pre-existing buds on the rhizome. Prolonged cultivation on the same medium or transfer to hormone free medium induced roots/rhizome formation; liquid medium proved more suitable. Greenhouse hardened plants were transferred to field. A successful protocol with 99% root formation and 80–85.5% field survival has been formulated.