Establishment of fast-growing callus and root cultures of Cephalotaxus harringtonia

Callus cultures were established from Cephalotaxus harringtonia (Japanese plumyew) stem expiants cultured on Murashige and Skoog medium supplemented with 4.5 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.05 βM 6-furfurylaminopurine. The inclusion of 4.9 μM 6-(γ,γ-dimethylallylamino) purine as the sole hormone significantly increased the growth rate of the callus. Organogenesis giving rise to both shoots and roots occurred upon transfer of the callus onto a hormonefree medium. Vitrification was common on all regenerated shoots cultured on Gelrite-containing medium. Regenerated roots were excised and established in McCown's woody plant medium. Doubling the phosphate and nitrate levels in the medium increased the growth of these root cultures.