IN VITRO PROPAGATION OF THE OSTRICH FERN (Matteuccia struthiopteris)

Methods were developed for the successful in vitro propagation of ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris (L.) Todaro) clones utilizing shoot tips derived by forcing lateral buds on the rhizome. Maximum shoot proliferation was attained with 6-furfurylaminopurine (kinetin) at 1.0 mg/L with half-strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) inorganic salts and sucrose, agar, NaH2PO4, adenine sulphate, i-inositol and thiamine∙HCl at 30 000, 4000, 85, 40, 100, 0.4 mg/L, respectively. Excellent frond and root development was achieved with half-strength MS salts and sucrose, agar, i-inositol and thiamine∙HCl at 7500, 4000, 100 and 0.4 mg/L, respectively. The methods developed were satisfactory for a cross section of clones. Morphogenesis in vitro was dependent on medium osmotic potential.Key words: Matteuccia struthiopteris, in vitro propagation, tissue culture, morphogenesis, fern (ostrich)