In vitro flowering and fruiting of critically endangered plant Ceropegia rollae Hemadri

Ceropegia rollae Hemadri (Family: Apocynaceae) is critically endangered, rare and endemic species of Northern Western Ghats and is added in Red Data Book and IUCN list. The aim of the present study was to develop efficient in vitro micropropagation protocol to conserve the taxa C. rollae. The surface sterilised nodal shoot explants were used for the establishment of culture. The maximum percentage of shoot proliferation (100%) and mean shoot length (3.97+/-0.46) was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 3 mg L-1 BAP. The highest number of roots per shoot (7.40+/-0.28) was favoured by MS medium supplemented with IBA, while NAA showed floral promotion. Various sucrose concentrations (1-21%) were applied to study the frequency of flowering morphology. The maximum % of floral bud induction (91.67+/-8.33) and number of floral buds per explant (7.33+/-0.96) were obtained on MS medium supplemented with 6% sucrose and NAA. In vitro follicle was also observed, which may be the result of self-pollination. This is a first report of in vitro follicle in case of C. rollae.