A CULTIVAR COMPARISON OF PLANT-REGENERATION FROM SUSPENSION CELLS, CALLUS, AND CORMEL SLICES OF GLADIOLUS

Callus was initiated from either cormel slices or in vitro-grown plant s of six Gladiolus cultivars cultured on Murashige and Skoog's basal s alts medium supplemented with either 10 mg/liter (53.8 mu M) 1-naphtha leneacetic acid, 2 mg/liter (9.3 mu M) dicamba, or 0.5 mg/liter (2.2 m u M) 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid. More plants were regenerated from callus of the cultivar ''Peter Pears'' as compared to ''Jenny Lee,'' ''Florida Flame,'' or ''Golden Year.'' No plants were regenerated from callus of ''Rosa Supreme'' or ''Purity White.'' Plants were regenerat ed from 2 and 6-mo,-old suspension cells of ''Jenny Lee'' and ''Peter Pears'' but not from ''Florida Flame.'' Cormel slices cultured on Mura shige and Skoog's basal salts medium supplemented with 1 mg/liter (4.4 mu M) 6-benzylaminopurine regenerated plants from all six cultivars i ndicating a cultivar-independent system of plant regeneration.