Vegetative propagation of hitchenia careyana benth. (zingiberaceae) through stem cuttings

Abstract

Hitchenia careyana Benth. (Zingiberaceae) is one of the rare wild gingers having good potential ornamental value. They are poorly cultivated in the gardens because of the limited availability of planting materials. A new technique for its vegetative propagation using stem cuttings is standardized for the rapid multiplication of this plant (first of its kind in the family Zingiberaceae). Single noded stem cuttings were sprouted in a medium of clean river sand and hardened in poly bags filled with a mixture of soil, sand and cow dung in equal ratio. Stem cuttings showed high rate of sprouting (98%) and the plantlets survived well in the soil.