POLLEN VIABILITY AND TISSUE CULTURE INITIATION OF Salix lapponum, AN ENDANGERED SPECIES IN POLAND

The main aim of the study was to investigate the viability of pollen of a boreal relict, Salix lapponum, an endangered species in Poland as well as to evaluate the possibility to introduce the plant into a tissue culture. Two approaches were taken to estimate pollen viability: staining pollen with dyes and in vitro germination assay. The study results showed high pollen viability of the species, with regard to both fresh pollen and pollen stored for 12 months. The effectiveness of pollen tube growth was also found to be largely dependent on glucose content in a medium and thermal conditions. The study results have provided necessary information on the most optimal combinations for pollen germination of boreal willow in artificial conditions. The research on tissue culture initiation of S. lapponum was also undertaken. The most contamination free explants were obtained, when the shoot pieces had been soaked in a solution of fungicides, followed by the dip in 70% alcohol and surface disinfected in 2% NaOCl for 30 minutes. The most good quality shoots were obtained on the MS media supplemented with 0.1 mg.dm(-3) BA and 0.01 mg.dm(-3) IBA.