VITRO CULTURE OF GLADIOLUS-CARNEUS

Sterile-grown seedlings of Gladiolus carneus were excised in root, hyp ocotyl and leaf explants. The explants were placed on Murashige and Sk oog medium supplemented with 100 mg l(-1) myoinositol, 3% sucrose and 1 mg l(-1) NAA and BA respectively, solidified with 0.8% agar. Multipl e shoots occurred from the hypocotyl sections. The shoots readily form ed corms. The cormlets were rooted on hormone-free MS medium. Plantlet s were successfully hardened off in a sand:soil 2:1 mix in the mist ho use for four weeks, whereafter they were transferred to a greenhouse.