LENTICEL HYPERTROPHY IN SHOOT CULTURES OF CERATONIA-SILIQUA L

Numerous white surface proliferations appeared in cultures of Ceratonia siliqua L. grown three to four weeks on medium containing 0.5 mg l-1 BA and 0.1 mg l-1 IBA. it was histologically confirmed that these proliferations were hypertrophied lenticels. Proliferations appeared first at the basal shoot internode and gradually spread acropetally, covering eventually the whole shoot except the uppermost internodes. Increase of BA concentration in the medium increased both the number of hypertrophied lenticels per shoot and the shoot multiplication index.