Abstract
Leaf segments of 1-year-old Japanese persimmon, Diosyros kaki, were cultured aseptically on various agar media to determine suitable media for bud formation. The favorable medium to initiate new buds found was as follows: a half strength of minerals of Murashige and Skoog's medium supplemented with vitamins, inositol, 19 kind of amino acids, 1mg/lBA and 0.1-1mg/l IAA. Bud was formed only on the adaxial side of the leaf segments and the histological observation indicated that the bud meristem was directly developed from the palisade parenchyma without callus formation. Bud formation occurred in the leaf segments of the trees only younger than 4-year-old, whereas the same attempt to induce bud formation was not successful on the leaf segments of the trees older than 5 years, suggesting a strong influence of plant age on bud formation from leaf segments.
