[Cultivation of Iris ensata Thunb. callus tissue]

A continuous callus culture was obtained from zygotic embryos of Japanese iris (Iris ensata Thunb.) on the Murashige-Skoog medium supplemented with 2 mg/l alpha-naphthylacetic acid and 0.5 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). It was found that a successful callusogenesis required isolated embryos at the wax stage of endosperm development. The optimal combination of phytohormones for the growth of callus tissue was 1 mg/l 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.5 mg/l BAP. The pigment composition of I. ensata callus tissue was studied. It was demonstrated that subcultivated callus tissue contained red pigments of flavonoid nature. Under stress cultivation conditions, yellow pigments were formed and the content of red pigments increased.