THE PRODUCTION OF NOVEL PLANTS FROM FLORETS OF CHRYSANTHEMUM-MORIFOLIUM USING TISSUE-CULTURE .2. SECURING NATURAL MUTATIONS (SPORTS)

Chrysanthemum morifolium produces natural floral colour mutants termed sports. Plants were regenerated from ray floret sports using a previously optimised tissue culture procedure. Natural floral mutations were secured, irrespective of whether they were a whole inflorescence, a floret or a part of a floret. Such mutations are impossible to secure using conventional breeding techniques due to their location and their extent, which, with the exception of whole inflorescences, are generally limited. The variation induced by tissue culture was insufficient for the loss of the natural mutations shown by the parent sport material, but a range of inflorescence morphologies were found in the regenerants. An efficient system is presented for the securing of natural mutations with limited somaclonal variation for the production of solid mutants.