Colchicine and duration time on survival rate and micropropagation of Dionaea muscipula Ellis

Young leaf bases and leaf blades about 0.5 cm in height of a carnivorous plant Dionaea muscipula were used as explants for determining the callus multiplication. Explants were cultured on 1/2MS medium supplemented with various concentrations of benzyladenine (BA; 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 mg/l). 1/2MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/l BA gave the highest average diameter of callus about 0.55 cm after culturing for nine weeks. Callus was subcultured into the same medium every three weeks four times. 1/2MS supplemented with 0.5 mg/l BA gave the highest average plant height, number of leaves, number of roots, and root length. When young shoots about 0.5 cm long treated with a combination of different concentrations (0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 mg/l) of colchicine within different incubation times (24, 48 and 72 h), the survival rate was dependent on the concentration of colchicine and incubation time. Their survival rate was the lowest, when young shoots were soaked in 20 mg/l colchicine for 72 h (70%).   Key word: Dionaea  muscipula, colchicine, incubation time, micropropagation.