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Rapid clonal propagation in three stolon bearing species of Nephrolepis was achieved by tissue culture methods. Explants from young stolons were grown on B5 (Gamborg et al. 1968) medium supplemented with indolebutyric acid where they produced several leaf primordia. These leaf primordia were isolated and grown into entire plantlets. An overall multiplication factor of 30-40 was attained within three months.

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Ferns are cultivated as ornamental plants because of their evergreen foliage. The present investigation deals with the successful application of tissue culture techniques as a powerful tool for the rapid and mass propagation, on a commercial scale, of two species of Nephrolepsis. In vitro grown N. cordifolia Presel and TV. exaltata on B 5 medium (Gamborg et al. 1968) were used for stolon explants.Stolon segments grown on B 5 medium containing IBA (indolebutyric acid) produced greenish proliferations along their entire margin within 2 weeks. These proliferations were produced due to the initiation of meristematic growth centres. These meristematic growth centres consisted of cells in their undetermined stage of development. At this crucial stage, they were transferred to B 5 medium supplemented with 6-benzylaminopurine. The incorporation of this cytokinin in the medium induced further growth and development of these meristematic cells, resulting in the formation of adventitious buds. Each bud primordium developed a typical shoot apical meristem. Each bud on transfer back to IBA medium regenerated into a complete plantlet. Thus, it became apparent that these adventitious buds behaved as 'asexual vegetative propagules'. Adopting this technology, numerous buds were produced at a time, thereby achieving more rapid clonal propagation. About 10,000 Nephrolepis plants were produced from a single stolon explant within 6 months.To bring down the cost of production of ferns raised by tissue culture, sucrose and Difco-bacto agar from the medium were replaced by sugar and ordinary agar. Both these Nephrolepis species grown by this technique exhibited uniformity. Tissue culture has revolutionised fern propagation and because of its profitability has gained much popularity among the commercial fern growers. Gamborg, O. L., Miller, R. A. and Ojima, K. 1968