n protoplast-derived colony growth following culture with PFC. For example, the mean area of the culture plates covered by colonies after 35 d (n = 4) was increased from 11.6% + 5.8% in controls to 49.8% ? 5.4% (P < 0.01) in response to media supplementation with oxygenated perfluorodecalin (Table 2). In contrast, visual assessments revealed a 7.5-fold increase in plating efficiency over the same time period. The ploidy of the protoplast-derived plants transferred to the glasshouse, as assessed by flow cytometry, was unaffected by culture of protoplasts with oxygenated perfluorodecalin. Thirty plants derived from protoplasts cultured in the presence of perfluorodecalin and the same number of plants regenerated from protoplasts cultured in the absence of this compound were all diploid. Plants regenerated from protoplasts exposed to oxygenated perfluorode- calin flowered 1 lo&200 d after their transfer to the glasshouse and showed no marked differences in morphology or pollen viability compared to plants derived from protoplasts cultured in the absence of perlluorodecalin (Tab- le 3) or seed-derived individuals (Davey et al., 1991).