Cryopreservation of Anigozanthos viridis ssp. viridis and related taxa from the south-west of Western Australia

Abstract

Cryostorage of shoot apices of the perennial monocotyledonous species Anigozanthos viridis Endl. ssp. viridis (Haemodoraceae) was investigated by using a modified vitrification protocol. The highest post-thaw survival of shoot apices (41.4%) involved preculturing shoot apices on 0.4 M sorbitol for 48 h followed by incubation in a vitrification cryoprotective solution (PVS2) for 25 min at 0˚C. The level and type of cytokinin used in the culture stage was also found to influence cryostorage success with post-thaw survival decreasing from 41% with zero to low levels of cytokinins to below 5% for cytokinin levels that are typical of plant tissue applications (2.5 ˜M) for Australian plant species. Five Haemodoraceae taxa (Anigozanthos Labill. spp. and Conostylis R.Br. spp.) were successfully cryopreserved with this modified protocol; however, a sixth taxon, Macropidia fuliginosa (Hook.) Druce., remained unresponsive to this vitrification technique.