Analysis of habituated embryogenic lines in Asparagus officinalis L.: growth characteristics, hormone content and ploidy level of calli and regenerated plants.

Habituated asparagus embryogenic lines derived from eleven genotypes were maintained on hormone-free medium and grew actively through secondary embryogenesis. Secondary embryos were of single cell origin and emerged from the transversal division of some epidermal or subepidermal cotyledonary cells of primary embryos. The intensity of secondary embryogenesis was found to be variable between embryogenic lines.