Effects of Different Explants and Plant Growth Regulators on Micropropagation of Persian Buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus L.)

Buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus L.) is an ornamental plant¡ used as cut flower¡ potted plant and bedding plant in landscapes. A common method for propagation of buttercup is seed¡ especially hybrid seeds derived from crossing between selected parent lines. In vitro culture techniques can be the efficient method for rapid multiplication and mass production of the buttercup plant. In this research¡ the effects of different explants including leaf¡ axillary bud¡ cotyledonary leaf¡ thalamus and different levels of auxins and cytokinins on in vitro culture of buttercup (Ranunculus asiaticus ‘magic’) were investigated. All treatments were arranged in the factorial experiments in a completely randomized design with three replications. All explants except thalamus could produce plantlets in cultures. The most efficient explants was axillary bud and the best culture medium was MS.3 µM kinetin.4 µM benzyl amino purine. Ninety-five percent of shoots regenerated from different explants were rooted easily on MS medium free of growth regulators.