Currently, information regarding asexual propagation of Styrax L (snowbells) is lacking in the literature. In this study, the influence of K-IBA treatment on root production was investigated on stem cuttings of 15 different taxa of Styrax. Softwood or semi-hardwood stem cuttings dipped in 0, 3000, or 8000 ppm (0, 0.3, or 0.8%) K-IBA were evaluated for percent rooting and root number per rooted cutting. Cuttings were allowed to root under intermittent mist in a perlite:peat (3:1 by vol) rooting substrate for 9 weeks. Percent rooting and the response to K-IBA varied by species and by cultivar within a species. All 15 taxa rooted to some extent. Auxin application improved percent rooting for S. dasyanthus, S. japonicus ‘Carillon’, S. japonicus ‘Pink Chimes’, S. japonicus ‘Snowfall’, and S. tonkinensis, and decreased percent rooting for S. formosanus, S. japonicus ‘Issai’, S. japonicus ‘Pink Cascade’, and S. serrulatus (clone B). Application of K-IBA increased the number of roots produced per rooted cutting on S. calvescens, S. confusus, S. japonicus ‘Pink Chimes’, S. serrulatus (clone A), and S. tonkinensis.

adventitious rooting, indolebutyric acid, plant propagation, storax, Styracaceae
Styrax calvescens Perkins (bald snowbell), S. confusus Hemsl. (Chinese snowbell), S. dasyanthus Perkins (silvery snowbell), S. formosanus Matsum. (Formosan snowbell), S. japonicus Sieb. & Zucc. (Japanese snowbell) (cultivars, ‘Carillon’, ‘Crystal’, ‘Emerald Pagoda’, ‘Issai’, ‘Pink Cascade’, ‘Pink Chimes’, ‘Rubra Pendula’, and ‘Snowfall’), S. serrulatus Roxb. (sawtooth snowbell), S. tonkinensis (Pierre) Craib ex Hartwich. (Tonkin snowbell)
This content is only available as a PDF.

Author notes

This research was funded in part by Kansas State University, North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, and the J. Frank Schmidt Family Charitable Foundation. Special thanks to Jon Roethling for collecting and shipping plant material.

2Assistant Professor.

3Executive Director, Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden, Post Office Box 1069, Kernersville, NC 27285.

Copyright, All Rights Reserved
2005