The stigma of saffron (Crocus sativus L. ) contains natural pigments of economic importance. The present experiment deals with the differences on organogenesis of saffron calli for efficient and rapid micropropagation.
The calli could be classified into four groups: ( 1) opaque yellow, com pact, granular and embryonic callus ( A-type) proliferating shoots and roots in f requencies of 94% and 89% respectively; ( 2) dull purple, compact and tumourlike callus ( B-type) showing high root differentiation frequency at about 90% , but very low shoot one; ( 3) white, fragile callus of twisted pieces ( C-type) growing slow ly at the shoot and root differentiation frequencies of 8% and 51% respectively; ( 4) opaque white, fragile and lumpish callus ( D-type) multiplying fast, losing the morphogenetic capacity, but having potentials to select saffron somaclonal lines of high pigment contents. Among the explants, young leaves and buds were easily induced to form. A-type calli, about at the high frequencies of 95% in 2～ 3 weeks; tubers were induced to produce the calli at 80% in 6～7 weeks, implying that the former are suitable sources of the explants to select embryonic calli rapidly.