Hello there,
which is the best material for starting a tissue culture project with carnivorous plants, such as Dionaea spec.?
Should I use leaf material or even the traps?
Thanks for any assistance…
Absolutely easiest way to establish venus flytrap tissue cultures is to start from seeds!
Despite they are very small, it is much easier to get rid off contaminants. Sterilization of leaf explants can be difficult, especially when they contain endophytes. Fresh seeds are normally sterile inside so it only requires a surface sterilization.
By the way, germination in vitro is often much more efficient in comparison with ex vitro germination on soil substrate. No problem with seeds getting moldy (if you decontaminate them well), which often happens during long germination times.
You can find a protocol pathway on the phytoneers database. Discussions can be opened here:
https://phytoneers.com/t/micropropagation-of-dionaea-muscipula-by-seed-explants/60
Here’s the single protocol for the germination:
https://phytoneers.com/t/germination-of-dionaea-muscipula-seeds/49