• Journal of Plant Biology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.71-77
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• 1996

Embryogenic callus was selected from callus induced from hypocotyl segment cultures of Daucus carota seedlings on MS basal medium supplemented with 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D. Cell clumps prepared from the embryogenic callus were transferred to MS medium without 2,4-D for somatic embryo development. Cotyledonary abnormalities were frequently observed on somatic embryos developed after the incubation of cell clumps in MS basal medium with 1.0 mg/L 2,4-D for one week and then subculture in the same medium but without 2.4-D for two weeks. The percentage of abnormalities was as follows: 5% one cotyledon, 21% three cotyledons, 6% four cotyledons, 5% five cotyledons, 0.2% six cotyledons and 1% trumpet-like cotyledons. On the other hand, the normal somatic embryo with two cotyledons appeared at 63%. The germination rate of somatic embryos was higher in two cotyledon somatic embryos than in multicotyledonary embryos. Trumpet-like somatic embryos did not germinate normally showing limited elongation and enlargement of roots and cotyledons without shoot development. From anatomical examination circular procambium in the root of somatic embryo began to branch around the middle regions of the hypocotyl which extended into the cotyledons through the cotyledonary nodes and the number of branched procambial strands in hypocotyl was equal to the number of cotyledons. Monocotyledonous somatic embryo always had larger cotyledon than that of somatic embryos with multicotyledons and had horseshoe-like cotyledons where the procambium was of the same structure.ucture.