Androgenetic cell cultures and plants from anthers of Digitalis lanata

Anthers of Digitalis lanata were cultivated on a modified Murashige-Skoog medium with 25 pmol NAA, 1 µmol kinetin, and 0.6 mol sucrose L -1. Up to 33 % of the anthers formed calli, most of which contained haploid cells. If the calli were grown on a nutrient medium with 5µmol 2,4D and 1µmol kinetin L -1 the haploid cells disappeared rapidly. In suspension cultures derived from the callus, haploid cells were detectable for longer periods of time, and suspension cultures containing haploid cells were also obtained from apparently diploid callus. Diploid plants were regenerated from callus via somatic embryos by successive cultivation on a nutrient medium with 0.05 µmol NAA and 5 µmol BA L -1, and a nutrient medium without growth regulators. The cardenolide contents of the regenerated plants showed greater variability than those of the clone plants they were derived from.