Plants are characterized by a post-embryonic mode of organ development, which results in a need for these photoautotrophic organisms to regenerate lost parts in the course of their life cycle. This capacity depends on the presence of “pluripotent stem cells,” which are part of the meristems within the plant body. One hundred years ago, the botanist Gottlieb Haberlandt (1854–1945) published experiments showing wounding-induced callus formation, which led ultimately to plant regeneration in tissue culture and thence to the techniques of “plant biotechnology,” with practical applications for mankind. Here, we recount Haberlandt’s discovery within the context of his long research life and his most influential book Physiologische Pflanzenanatomie. In the second part, we describe and analyze a plant tissue-culture regeneration system using sterile, dark-grown sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seedlings as experimental material. We document that excised hook segments, which contain a “stem cell niche,” can regenerate entire miniature H. annuus–plantlets that, raised in a light/dark regime, develop flowers. Finally, we discuss molecular data relevant to plant regeneration with reference to phytohormones and conclude that, one century after Haberlandt, 1921, the exact biochemical/genetic mechanisms responsible for the capability of stem cells to remain “forever young” are, although already complex, really just beginning to become known.

植物的特征在于器官发育的胚胎后模式，这导致这些光合自养生物在其生命周期过程中需要再生丢失的部分。这种能力取决于“多能干细胞”的存在，它们是植物体内分生组织的一部分。一百年前，植物学家 Gottlieb Haberlandt (1854-1945) 发表的实验表明，伤口诱导的愈伤组织形成，最终导致植物在组织培养中再生，并由此产生了“植物生物技术”技术，并为人类提供了实际应用。在这里，我们在他漫长的研究生涯和他最有影响力的著作Physiologische Pflanzenanatomie的背景下叙述了 Haberlandt 的发现. 在第二部分中，我们描述和分析了以无菌、暗生向日葵（Helianthus annuus）幼苗为实验材料的植物组织培养再生系统。我们记录了切除的含有“干细胞生态位”的钩节可以再生整个微型H. annuus——在光/暗条件下生长的小植物，它们会开花。最后，我们参考植物激素讨论与植物再生相关的分子数据，并得出结论，在 Haberlandt，1921 年之后的一个世纪，干细胞保持“永远年轻”能力的确切生化/遗传机制虽然已经很复杂，真的才开始为人所知。