Vegetative Propagation of Gordonieae Trees by Stem Cuttings

Abstract

Abstract The Theaceae tribe Gordonieae contains trees with desirable ornamental characteristics and adaptability to a broad range of environmental conditions. To develop an effective protocol for vegetative propagation of five taxa in the tribe, terminal softwood, semi-hardwood, and hardwood cuttings were collected from these trees and treated with either 0, 2500, 5000, 7500, or 10000 ppm of the potassium salt of indolebutyric acid (K-IBA). The concentration of K-IBA only affected rooting percentage of hardwood cuttings of Franklinia alatamaha, Gordonia lasianthus, and Schima remotiserrata and had varying effects on root number and length of longest root amongst the taxa and cutting types. Franklinia alatamaha and G. lasianthus were rooted at high percentages (> 50%) from hardwood, semihardwood, and softwood cuttings, and S. khasiana rooted at high percentages (72%) from softwood cuttings. Despite poor rooting from all types of stem cuttings (< 23%), Schima remotiserrata and S. wallichii exhibited the highest rooting percentages from hardwood cuttings. Rooting percentage, root number, and length of longest root differed greatly in response to K-IBA concentration amongst the five taxa observed and the cutting types within each taxa.