Plant regeneration and morphology during in-vitro organogenesis fromHeloniopsis orientalis (Thunb.) C. Tanaka

Heloniopsis orientalis (Liliaceae) is an important horticultural crop native to Korea. Under natural conditions, germination is poor and plant growth is delayed. Therefore, we have developed a vegetative propagation method to produce plants with vigorous growth characteristics via tissue culture. Leaf tissues were cultured on MS basal media supplemented with growth regulators 2,4-D, TDZ, BA, or zeatin. The regenerated shoots were then initiated directly from leaf expiants on an MS medium containing either 0.1 to 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D or 0.1 to 3.0 mg/L BA. Healthy plantlets with adventitious roots were formed on the medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/L BA. TDZ triggered callus initiation without caulogenesis or rhizogenesis, and callus formation was better on the half-strength MS medium than on the full-strength medium. After the plants were acclimatized for one month at 4°C, they were successfully transferred to soil. In addition, we used LM and SEM to investigate shoot morphogenesis at various stages of differentiation.