Micropropagation of Turkish Endemic Iris stenophylla Hausskn & Siehe Ex Baker Subsp allisonii B. Mathew

Geophytes are widely used for perfume and in the pharmaceutical industry as well as for ornamental flowers. Two million dollars is earned annually through the export of geophytes in Turkey. Because of their economic importance bulbs are frequently collected from their natural habitats. Their collection from the wild has resulted in some problems for many plant species. Iris stenophylla Hausskn & Siehe ex Baker subsp. allisonii B. Mathew is a critically endangered geophyte. In vitro production is an alternative method for the protection of this plant. In this study immature embryo and bulb scale explants were isolated and cultured on Murashige-Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with various combinations of 6-benzylaminopurin (BA) and alpha- naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA). The best result were obtained from MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/L BA and 0.25 mg/L NAA.