The occurrence of shoot teratomata in tissue cultures of Taraxacum officinale

Tissue cultures of Taraxacum officinale have been isolated showing either normal organogenesis, callus growth only, or teratological shoots. The latter are apparently stable and the teratomata range from tumerous outgrowths, to flattened thalloid forms and short shoots with strap shaped leaves. The proximal regions of such shoots are tumerous and no distinction between apex, leaf and bud primordia is possible.