In vitro Flowering in Aerva lanata (L) Juss. Ex. Schult

Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. ex-Schultz, is a medicinally important herbal plant with many medicinal properties like the antihyperglycaemic, lithotriptic, urolithic, antibiotic, antihelmintic, antihyperlipidemic, antimicrobial and hepatoprotective activity that intrigued us to study and propagate this plant. As the plant displayed challenges in propagation by conventional methods, especially during the off-season, the in vitro multiplication method was deployed. During this experimentation, in vitro flowering for two consecutive years both during the on-season and off-season was recorded. L2 media fortified with 2.5 mg/L IBA, and 1.5 mg/L BAP emerged as the best media for proliferation and direct organogenesis. Resultant shoots were subcultured onto similar media fortified with 1 mg/L GA3 to get elongated inflorescences. As flowers and inflorescences are of great medicinal importance, these results aid in sustaining the plant during the off-season and find its application accordingly.