The Primulina tabacum Hance is a first grade rare and endangered plant in China. The professor MA Guohua etc in Key Laboratory of South China Agricultural Plant Breeding and Genetics, South China Botanical Garden have successful launched of the plant biotechnology and reintroduction. They have further studied the proliferation techniques of different ecotypes as well as the whole leaf cuttings of vegetative propagation to develop a more simple, fast and efficient propagation technology.

They found by tissue culture that the ecotype in Zixiadong (Hunan Jiuyi Mountain) showed much difference with other ecotypes distributed in Guangdong in the induction of somatic embryos and adventitious buds. This is the first report distinguishing different ecotypes by biotechnology. Full leaf cuttings research results showed that the mixed matrix of sand and perlite 1:1, petiole cuttings in 4.9 μM IBA solution pretreatment for 30 min, 30 days to make petiole rooting at the highest rate (90%), 60 days may receive up to a proliferation coefficiency at 8.8.

Now the results have been published in international journals Plant Cell Tissue and Organ Culture (2012, 109: 213–221) and Scientia Horticulturae (2012, 134: 163–166).

A petiole cuttage showed rooting and a few adventitious shoots.

A mass propagation system in vitro.