Bud clusters of Spathiphyllum cultivars: a novel way to propagate peace lilies in vitro

Abstract

A special organ formation appearing on the inflorescences of Spathiphyllum cultivars, which has not been described so far in the literature was studied in vivo and in vitro. Histological examination revealed that they are not callus, but bud-like formulas or dwarf shoots growing in groups, which contain highly differentiated tissues, have a shoot axis, meristematic regions, and leaf primordia. These bud clusters have been shown to be propagable in vitro on both solid and liquid media, for which benzyladenine and thidiazuron cytokinins may be recommended. The process of shoot regeneration from these bud clusters was also investigated, which can be accelerated by inhibitors of gibberellin biosynthesis. This study presents a propagation method which is based on organogenesis, thus providing high genetic stability, while incorporating the advantages of liquid culture, allowing the further development of a simplified large-scale bioreactor propagation system for Spathiphyllum species.

Keywords

• Spathiphyllum
• anti-gibberellin
• cytokinins
• spadix inflorescence
• liquid media culture
• organogenesis