FERTILE PLANT-REGENERATION FROM PROTOPLASTS OF A SEED-PROPAGATED CULTIVAR OF LILIUM X FORMOLONGI BY UTILIZING MERISTEMATIC NODULAR CELL CLUMPS

Plant regeneration from protoplasts of Lilium x formolongi cv. Azusa w as achieved by utilizing suspension cultures of meristematic nodular c ell clumps with a high plant regeneration ability. Creamy-white calli with embryogenic potential were initially induced from the seeds on Mu rashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing 4.1 mu M picloram. The calli were then transferred into a liquid medium of the same composition, in which they turned into compact cell clumps which consisted of meriste matic nodules. Protoplasts were readily isolated from these meristemat ic nodular cell clumps. Colonies were successfully formed from the pro toplasts by embedding in 0.1% gellan gum-solidified MS medium containi ng 4.1 mu M picloram and 0.5 M glucose. They regenerated shoots and ro ots on MS medium containing 2.2 mu M benzylaminopurine (BAP). The plan ts thus obtained produced flowers with normal fertile pollen 8 months after successful transfer into soil. These plants had normal chromosom e numbers (2n = 24) but had shorter leaves than original plants. They set seeds after self as well as cross pollination.