Tissue culture and plant regeneration in diploid perennial teosinte.

High frequency plant regeneration is described for Zea diploperennis callus from somatic tissues. Small callus fragments were excised after 3-4 passages on primary medium (MS salts containing 2,4-D) and transferred to regeneration medium (without 2,4-D). After 10-15 days, numerous shoots were observed which grew to normal plantlets following separation and transfer to a rooting medium. Presently, ca. 500 plants have been recovered from which approximately 80 plants are growing in small pots in a nursery and ca. 50 plants have already produced normal flowers and seeds under field conditions. The culture of somatic tissues of interspecific hybrids between cultivated corn and teosinte may offer new success for in vitro plant regeneration.