SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS AND PLANT-REGENERATION IN LILIUM-LONGIFLORUM THUNB

Friable callus was obtained from styles and flower pedicels of Lilium longiflorum Snow Queen and the Oriental lily hybrid Star Gazer on Mura shige and Skoog (MS) media containing either 2 mu M dicamba or 2 mu M picloram. Cell suspension cultures were established by suspending the callus of L. longiflorum Snow Queen in liquid medium containing 2 mu M dicamba. Through a purification process, a fine fast-growing cell sus pension was obtained. This suspension was composed of a homogenous pop ulation of small dense cells, which tended to organise into embryo lik e structures (ELS). In liquid culture with the auxin dicamba, the ELS underwent continuous callus formation. When transferred to solidified hormone-free MS medium, the ELS germinated, forming complete plantlets . Histological investigation showed that in the ELS both shoot and roo t meristems were distinctly evident. It was concluded that the ELS obt ained were in fact somatic embryos.