© 1988 Heron Publishing—Victoria, Canada
Organogenesis and embryogenesis in mature zygotic embryos of Picea sitchensis
S. von Arnold (1) and S. Woodward (2)
1. Department of Plant Physiology, University of Uppsala, Box 540, S-751 21 Uppsala, Sweden / 2. Oxford Forestry Institute, Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford 0X1 3RB, UK / Received March 31, 1988
Summary
Differentiation of adventitious buds and somatic embryos from mature zygotic embryos of Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr. is described. Adventitious buds were formed on embryos pulse-treated with 250 μM benzyladenine for 2 h and
cultured on medium lacking growth regulators. Buds were initiated at different frequencies and sites depending on when the
BA-pulsed embryos were transferred to fresh culture medium. Embryogenic callus was formed when the zygotic embryos were cultured
on medium containing 10 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 5 μM benzyladenine. Although 50% of the embryos gave rise to
embryogenic callus, only 20% of the callus continued to proliferate after subculture. Proliferation of new somatic embryos
occurred from both the embryonic region and the suspensor region on previously formed somatic embryos. The pattern for development
of adventitious buds and somatic embryos in Picea sitchensis is compared to that in Picea abies under similar culture conditions.
