rooting plants from leaves

From: Kathy Upton <SKKUPTO at UMSLVMA.UMSL.EDU> on 1997.11.30 at 23:42:45(1668) Dear aroid propagators: I have found that the genus Chlorospatha can be propagated from a leaf. By leaf, I mean the petiole and leaf blade. I placed the petiole of Chlorospatha croatianum in a peat and perlite mix in a warm humid growing area and it sprouted roots after 6-7 weeks. It is now sending up a new leaf. I realize that a few other genera can be propagated in this way, such as Gonatopus, Zamioculcas (from leaflets), and also Amorphophallus. But are there other genera that have been propagated in this way (not by tissue culture)? I'm planning a little experiment here with Jane Whitehill and would like to know what genera have previously been rooted this way and what you all might suggest that would seem the most likely to work. Thanks! Kathy Upton +More University of Missouri-St.Louis

From: plantnut at shadow.net (Dewey Fisk) on 1997.12.01 at 03:27:38(1669) >I realize that a few other genera can be propagated in >this way, such as Gonatopus, Zamioculcas (from leaflets), and also >Amorphophallus. Kathy, I am familiar with Gonatopus and Zamioculcas rooting from parts of the foliage... But, not Amorphophallus... Please explain the procedure.. Thanks, Dewey +More Dewey E. Fisk, Plant Nut THE PHILODENDRON PHREAQUE Your Source for Tropical Araceae

From: Steve Marak <samarak at arachne.uark.edu> on 1997.12.01 at 04:05:16(1670) Kathy, I think we talked about this subject a little several years ago and then didn't keep up on it. I have tried several other Amorphs since then with mixed success, which is what I expected. Some are fairly easy, requiring only a relatively small piece of leaf and with an average success rate of 2/3, while others won't strike - for me - no matter what I do. I can't tell you what the difference is, but I can usually tell by looking at the leaf of a species whether I'm going to have any success with it. (This is completely unscientific in that I have no theory to explain that empirical observation, and no hard evidence to convince anyone else.) In stark contrast to Gonatopus, where leaflets which fall from the leaf spontaneously root and form new tubers without my intervention, rooting an Amorph. leaf requires my help. I haven't tried to propagate my Zamioculcas, but I haven't noticed any new plantlets turning up in the pots either. I suspect that some Dracontiums may be propagated this way, too, but I haven't tried it yet. I have a nice large leaf on one coming up now, and it may give some surface area to "science". Steve +More -- Steve Marak -- samarak@arachne.uark.edu

From: "Dr David Ross Constantine" <drc at globalnet.co.uk> on 1997.12.01 at 14:26:18(1672) I was interested in Kathy Upton's comments about regeneration from detached leaves. Someone on another listserv made a similar comment recently about the phenomenon in the non-aroid Rhododendron. I got quite interested in epiphyllous shoot formation when I was doing my PhD. In doing my literature search I came across the following paper; Hagemann, A., (1932) Untersuchungen an Blattstecklingen. Gartenbauwissenschaft 6, 69-195. Hagemann found that detachment was the only stimulus required to induce de novo shoot and/or root regeneration from leaves of 778 out of 1042 dicotyledenous species; 287 species formed shoots. Hagemann tried a few aroids and reported roots from 75% of detached leaves of Pothos auritus and from 100% of detached leaves of Zamioculcas zamiifolia. He also indicates that Pinellia tuberifera and Zamioculcas Loddigesii (sic) produce both roots and shoots. (This is an old paper; nomenclature has changed). Deni Bown (p 114) says of Zamioculcas zamiifolia that "as is quite common in succulent plants, but unknown elsewhere in Araceae, the leaflets can sprout into new plants and form tiny tubers at the base". It is also interesting to note that the bud-inducing properties of kinetin, the first cytokinin discovered in 1956, were applied horticulturally almost immediately in a similar non-tissue culture system; see Plummer, T. H. and Leopold, A. C., 1957. Chemical treatment for bud formation in Saintpaulia. Proc. J. Amer. hort. Sci. 70, 442-444 It may be that exogenous cytokinin will trigger shoot formation from detached leaves that do not otherwise respond. David Constantine +More drc@globalnet.co.uk

From: Don Martinson <dmartin at post.its.mcw.edu> on 1997.12.01 at 17:10:23(1673) >Kathy, >I have tried several other Amorphs since then with mixed success, which is >what I expected. Some are fairly easy, requiring only a relatively small >piece of leaf and with an average success rate of 2/3, while others won't >strike - for me - no matter what I do. > >I can't tell you what the difference is, but I can usually tell by looking >at the leaf of a species whether I'm going to have any success with it. >-- Steve Marak >-- samarak@arachne.uark.edu This is very interesting, Steve. What species have you had success with, and what are the leaf characteristics that you look for? Don Martinson +More dmartin@post.its.mcw.edu "Existing order thrives upon ignorance and lies. Objective truth and individual reason are feared above all." Jimmy Johnson - "Arlo & Janis"

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