CLONAL PROPAGATION OF MEADOWFOAM (LIMNANTHES SP) FROM BISECTED SEEDS

A method was developed to select and propagate meadowfoam lines that p roduce seeds with high oil content. Seeds of a meadowfoam hybrid (Limn anthes sp., ORL 85-765) were bisected so that a portion of the seed co uld be analyzed for oil content. The remainder of the seed was then ge rminated. Higher germination rates and more uniform plants were obtain ed from seeds cut transversely than from seeds cut longitudinally. Hal f seeds were stored frozen for 25 days without decrease in viability. Sterile plants were established by culture of shoot meristems taken fr om greenhouse-grown plants. Plants in sterile culture were cloned by m icropropagation. This method of selection is more specific to genotype than sampling seeds from a population, and is easier than selection f rom tissue culture, because the half-seed method does not require ster ile technique.