FLOWER INDUCTION IN NIGOTIANA TABACUM CV, VIRGINICA IN STERILE CULTURE

Abstract

Flower buds were induced in vitro on whole stem explants of Nicol-lame tabacum ev, Virgi¬nice and also on thin epidermal layers excised from stem segments. The explants supported flower bud induction and growth, the number of induced flower buds was rbore on the epidermal explants than on the stem segments. The flower buds thus produced contained viable pollen grains, a greater propor¬tion of which resembled "E" grains of the in vivo produced flower buds. All the stages of meiotic and mitotic sequences were recorded.