FERTILE SOMATIC HYBRID BETWEEN SEXUALLY INCOMPATIBLE HYOSCYAMUS-MUTICUS AND HYOSCYAMUS-ALBUS

Somatic hybrid plants have been regenerated from fused protoplasts of a chlorophyll deficient mutant of H. muticus (2n=28) with wild type pr otoplasts of H. albus (2n=68). The inability of protoplasts of H. albu s to regenerate was utilized in complementation with achlorophyllous, but regenerating, protoplasts of H. muticus for the selection of green somatic hybrid colonies and plants. The somatic hybrid plants showed intermediate morphological characters, and possessed 82-120 chromosome s, with a modal number of 96 which is also the amphidiploid complement of the two species. The isozyme patterns indicated the presence and e xpression of genes from both parents. The hybrid plants produced 33-78 % viable pollen and set viable seeds upon selfing and backcrossing in a directional manner.