Shoot regeneration in long-term callus cultures derived from mature flowering plants of Cyclamen persicum Mill.

In long-term callus cultures of Cyclamen persicum Mill. two types of tissue could be distinguished. One type featured a brown suberised outer layer and was poorly organogenic. The other type was yellowish in appearance and gave rise to many shoot buds. Both types co-existed on the same callus, the former prevailing. Selection for organogenic tissue resulted in cultures yielding approximately three times more petioles than random subcultures. Callus-derived shoots could be rooted and established in the greenhouse. The method allowed for the production of thousands of plants but the regenerants often showed deviant phenotypes and genotypes.