Micropropagation of Cyrtopodium paludicolum (Orchidaceae) from root tip explants

Abstract An efficient protocol for in vitro plant propagation of Cyrtopodium paludicolum has been developed using root tips dissected from well-developed seedlings. Root tips were cultured on Knudson medium supplemented with α-naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA), and/or thidiazuron (TDZ). TDZ did not induce protocorm-like bodies (PLBs) in the NAA absence, indicating phytoregulators synergistic effect. Medium supplemented with 1.34 μM NAA and 2.27 μM TDZ resulted in better response on PBLs, and subsequent shoot differentiation (55.25 shoots per explant), and in better rooting number and root length responses, favoring acclimatization with 90% of survived plants. However, the medium supplemented with only NAA (1.34 μM) resulted in 33.50 shoots per explant. Histological sections confirmed that only one PLB was induced per responsive root tip, and it showed numerous dispersed and extended meristemoids, or division centers that originated new PBLs. Additionally, this protocol could be an excellent model to study molecular aspects of root to shoot conversion.