Summary of final report on the Australian Flora Foundation funded project:
Eric Bunn
Kings Park and Botanic Garden, Kings Park West Perth 6005
July 8 1994
In vitro methods were investigated for four species of the Australian genus Conospermum (smokebush): C. fioribundum, C. incurvum, C. stoechadis and C. triplinervum. Shoots are multiplied on a 1/2 MS medium supplemented with 5.µM kinetin and 0.5 µM BA. Multiplication rates vary between species but addition of cytokinins effectively doubles or trebles the multiplication rate. Shoots are elongated by alternating incubation periods on media without plant hormones or containing up to 3 µM GA. Elongated shoots are then rooted on medium containing auxins (10 µM NAA or 5 µM NAA + 5 µM IBA for best results with Conospermum stoechadis and C. triplinervum). Rooted shoots are acclimatized before transfer to pasteurized potting medium (coarse sand, peat; perlite in equal proportions), resulting in a creditable survival rate for Conospermun triplinervum, C. stoechadis and C. incurvum.