In vitro propagation of Bucquetia glutinosa, endemic species of the Colombian Paramos

Abstract

In vitro multiplication protocol of B. glutinosa was established by seeds collected in the Paramo of Rabanal (Boyacá-Colombia), this species is useful in programs for the conservation and restoration of moorland ecosystems. During the establishment of in vitro cultures, 57% of aseptic seeds were obtained with 5 and 10% NaOCl, after 30 days of culture in MS-1, 61.4% of them developing normal appearance seedlings; 75% of the micro-stems cultivated in MS / 2 + 0.5 mg l-1 IBA reached an average length of 2.06 cm, formed up to 10 axillary buds and among these, around two and four basal shoots were individualized. Root development was parallel to multiplication phase. Plants showed a 94.4% survival rate during acclimation in the greenhouse, on a substrate composed of soil and ground mulch (1:1). This is the first micropropagation protocol of native Colombian melastomáceas with a potential use for restoration and conservation of high Andean ecosystems in a state of deterioration and vulnerability.

Key words: native melastomatáceas; paramo; in vitro propagation; restoration; seeds