PLANT-REGENERATION OF IRIS-PALLIDA LAM AND IRIS-GERMANICA L VIA SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS FROM LEAVES, APICES AND YOUNG FLOWERS

Irones are violet-scented ketonic compounds contained in the rhizome o f certain species of iris. As cultivation of the iris tends to decreas e, a selection program has been initiated to find the best performing clones in terms of growth and yield. Parallel to this selection, in vi tro regeneration studies have been carried out in order to multiply in teresting clones. A method of rapid multiplication by somatic embryoge nesis associated with multibudding was developed. Callus was obtained from leaf bases, flower pieces or rhizome apices; the best explants we re flower pieces. The induction media used to obtain embryogenic callu s were Murashige and Skoog (1962) media. Assays with adding of proline in these media have showed that it could double the yield of embryoge nic callus. The embryogenic expression medium was the Knudson's orchid agar (Knudson 1946) medium. Conformity of the plants obtained was che cked by comparing their chemotypes with those of the mother plants.