• Journal of Forest and Environmental Science
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.54-60
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• 2019

Plant tissue culture techniques offer quick methods of regeneration of plants of medicinal importance but the survival chances of such plants are always questionable when shifted to the in vivo conditions. The present study enumerates the micromorphological developments in the leaves of in vitro regenerated and field transferred plantlets of Oldenlandia umbellata. The leaves developed in vitro after $4^{th}$ subcultures of multiplication phase and after 6 weeks of field transferred plants were used. Statistically significant differences in the number of stomata, veins, raphides, crystals and trichome density per square mm were observed. The improvements in stomatal apparatus and density (decreased from 41.85 to 32.20), developments in leaf architectural parameters and emergence of defense mechanism through increased numbers of raphides (8 to 15), crystals and trichomes (13.5 to 18.2) proved acclimation of tissue culture raised plantlets from in vitro to the in vivo environments lead to 100 % success in field establishment of the plantlets. The in vitro induced foliar abnormalities (changes in stomata, venation pattern, vein density, trichomes, crystals etc.) were repaired while hardening of plantlets in the greenhouse and finally in the field. The observed micromorphological response of leaves under altered environmental conditions could help in determination of proper stage of field transfer and prediction of survival percentage of in vitro regenerated O. umbellata plantlets.