Reversion of Limonium hybrid 'Misty Blue' inflorescence development and its applicability in micropropagation

Five different developmental stages and lateral branch positions of Limoniu m hybrid 'Misty Blue' inflorescences cultured in vitro were investigated fo r floral reversion,The results indicated that there was a gradient of expre ssion along the inflorescence. Explants from the proximal ends, either from the main axis or the lateral branches of inflorescences in whatever stage of development, tended to exhibit vegetative traits, while the terminal end s continued to form floral organs. Reversion percentages and multiplication rates of shoot production in vitro were examined for three generations. Ex plants taken from the main axis of stage 1 yielded approx. 30% of nodes tha t produced vegetative shoots bur decreased to less than 10% from the more a dvanced stages. Explants taken from lateral branches produced many floral s hoots, especially from the advanced developmental stages 3-5. Vegetative sh oots, harvested from nodal explants on the main axis produced between 2.5 t o 4 newly developed vegetative shoots in the first subculture and continued to multiply 3-4 new shoots in the second and third subcultures. It was rec ommended that inflorescences of Limonium 'Misty Blue' at stages 4 and 5, ma in axis as well as lateral branches, should be used as initial explants for micropropagation. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.