During the period 1992-1994, a field experiment was carried out using Ranunculus asiaticus
L. plantlets obtained with in vitro methods to observe the tissue-cultured material in comparison
with seedlings from a similar genetic source. Plantlets were in vitro multiplied through axillary
bud stimulation (TC) or obtained through a somatic embryogenesis process (SE). Tissue cultured
material gave better yields than seedlings. The average number of flowers per TC-plant was
shown to be genotype-dependent, and 2-4 rhizomes could be collected at harvest according to the
acclimatization period. For TC-plants of the Elettra clone, the influence of the in vitro subculturing
time and the field performance of SE-plants regenerated from a callus obtained through
thalamus culture were evaluated. The flowering percentage was reduced after continued subculturing
and when plantlets were grown in vitro for 58 months, no flowering was observed. SE-plants
led to abnormalities depending on the developmental stage of the in vitro cultured thalamus
tissues. The deviations from the original phenotype could persist for different cultural cycles (leaf
morphology, plant habit and flowering delay) or were observed only in the first cultural cycle
(plant vigour and high percentage of aberrant leaves).