VARIETAL DIFFERENCES IN LEAF COLOR VARIATION OF PLANTS REGENERATED FROM IN-VITRO CULTURE OF LEAF BLADE IN CALADIUM CULTIVARS

Expanding leaves of nine cultivars of caladium (Caladium X hortulanum Birdsey) were cultured on modified MS medium supplemented with 1.0 mg . liter-1 BA and 1.0 mg . liter-1 NAA from which multiple shoot primordia were obtained. The multiple shoot primordia were in turn, cultured on modified MS medium without any growth regulators to regenerate plantlets. Leaf color variations in the plantlets regenerated from the multiple shoot primordia were very different among the nine cultivars. Leaf color variants were not observed in the plantlets regenerated from their multiple shoot primordia of 'Aaron', 'Frieda Hemple', 'John Peat', 'Candidum Junior', and 'C. R. 5', but they were observed with high frequency in those of 'Pink Cloud', 'White Wing', 'Rosary', and 'Ginger Land'. All-leaf color variants in the regenerated plantlets changed from the white or red veins to the green. Variants regenerated from the multiple shoot primordia of 'Pink Cloud' and 'Ginger Land' had green veins and the laminas retained the color of the original parent plants. On the other hand, the variants regenerated from those of 'White Wing' and 'Ro.sa.ry' had both green laminas and veins. When the green vein variants of 'Pink Cloud', and green leaf ones of 'White Wing' and 'Rosary' were cultured, the regenerated plantlets appeared similar to the parental stock.