Germination traits and adaptive regeneration strategies of the threeCarpinus species

Germination tests in the three sympatricCarpinus species,C. laxiflora, C. tshonoskii, andC. cordata, were carried out to clarify their germination traits in relation to the regeneration strategies. Seeds did not germinate just after ripening under any conditions in the three species. After one or two rounds of cold stratification, however,C. laxiflora andC. tshonoskii showed high germination percentages (>80%) at alternating temperature in light whileC. cordata did not. After a long-term (10 months) cold stratification, about 100% ofC. cordata seeds germinated, although about 70% of these seeds were in “conditional dormancy” and cannot germinate in the dark. Seed germination in the threeCarpinus species was enhanced by alternating temperature, but not by light exposure. These results suggest that the seeds of the three species are dormant just after ripening and the dormancy is broken by cold stratification. with intra-generic variations in the breakage. Germination traits in each species may be closely related to the regeneration strategy;C. cordata maintains a persistent seed bank with seed dormancy and regenerates after disturbances as a seed bank strategist, whereas the other two species germinate in the next spring after seedfall and regenerate depending either on existing disturbed-sites or sites of recent disturbances after seedling establishment as a seed rain strategist (C. tschonoskii) or seedling bank strategist (C. laxiflora). This study was supported by grants from the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (BCP-97-III-A).     

Fire effects on germination of seeds from Rhus and Rubus: competitors to pine during natural regeneration

Throughout the southeastern United States, Rhus and Rubus species are common associates of the southern pines on a wide array of upland site and stand conditions. Because of their ability to overrun disturbed sites, these species are categorized as competitors to pine during stand regeneration. Since prescribed burning is often used for site preparation in advance of pine regeneration, this study investigated the effect of fire on the germination of seeds from three pine competitors (Rubus argutus Link, Rhus copallina L. and Rhus glabra L.). During dormant-season burns, sumac seeds were located 45 cm above litter, within the F layer of a reconstructed forest floor, and at the interface of the forest floor and mineral soil. During growing-season burns, fresh blackberry fruits were placed at heights of 0, 15, 30, and 45 cm above the surface litter of a reconstructed forest floor. In subsequent germination tests, sumac seeds from within the F layer of burned litter had significantly higher germination rates for smooth sumac (31%) and shining sumac (42%) as compared to unburned control seeds (1–5%). In general, germination rates for sumac seeds placed in the air or on mineral soil during burning were no better than control seeds. Seeds from blackberry fruits that were located at heights of 15, 30, and 45 cm had germination rates that were comparable to unburned control seeds (18%), but seeds from fruits placed on the litter during burning had <1% germination. Results suggest that sumac seed germination may be enhanced by the heat from prescribed burning, whereas blackberry seeds showed more germination response to multiple germination cycles which indicated a potential for long-term storage in the soil seed bank.     

Inhibition by pulp juice and enhancement by ingestion on germination of bird-dispersedPrunus seeds

To evaluate what prevents seed germination and why ingestion by birds enhances germination, we carried out germination experiments using bird-dispersed seeds of twoPrunus species (Prunus sargentii andP. ssiori) in the laboratory. Germination of seeds with following four treatments was compared: “Ingested seeds” excreted after feeding of fruits to birds; “Extracted seeds” deliberately extracted from the fruit pulp; “Juiced seeds” which were supplemented with the juice of the pulp after seeds had been deliberately extracted from the pulp; and “Intact seeds” in untreated whole fruits. Many ingested (27%, 23% inP. sargentii, 18% inP. ssiori) and extracted seeds (24% inP. sargentii, 17% inP. ssiori) germinated, and difference in germination percentages between ingested and extracted seeds were not significant, for eitherPrunus species. The Juiced seeds rarely germinated (2% inP. sargentii, 6% inP. ssiori), and seeds within intact fruits did not germinate. These results suggest that the fruit pulp and the juice of the pulp inhibit germination and the seeds could germinate without ingestion by birds once they had been manually extracted from pulp. Therefore, it is considered that bird ingestion enahnces germination by removing pulp, especially juice of the pulp, in these twoPrunus species.     

Soil-Seed Bank Survival in Forests of the Southern United States

We evaluated the longevity of seeds of 12 common woody species buried in fresh condition in the forest floor at three forest locations in Mississippi and Louisiana. Seed samples of each species were retrieved annually for 5 years from each location. Germination and tetrazolium chloride staining tests were conducted on the samples to determine germinative capacity. When averaged across all species, seeds remained viable longer at the Alexandria, Louisiana site than at the two sites in Mississippi. Seeds of the 12 species varied widely in their response to burial. Some species, such as American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana L.), muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia Michx.), and sugarberry (Celtis laevigata Willd.), had relatively high germinative capacities (from 33 to 60 percent, depending on species) even after burial in the forest floor for 5 years, whereas other species, such as flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L.) and yaupon (Ilex vomitoria Ait.), had very low germinative capacities (less than 6 percent) by the end of the first year after burial. Species were classified into five groups based on their similarity of response.     

The Role of the White-Winged Guan (Penelope albipennis) in Seed Dispersal and Predation in Tumbesian Dry Forest,Peru

The white-winged guan (Penelope albipennis, Cracidae), thought extinct until 1979, today numbers <300 individuals. We investigated the role of the guans in seed dispersal and predation dynamics by recording seed germination from fecal samples of wild birds during the dry-season (May–December 2010). This study was conducted at Chaparri Ecological Preserve, in the critically endangered Tumbesian ecosystem on the western slope of the Andes. Field observations show that this bird is a frugivore; Cordia lutea (Boraginaceae) was the primary fruit consumed of the eight species of seeds collected from droppings. Collected seeds were sown in pots under nursery conditions and monitored for germination. Germination rates of passed seeds for Cordia lutea were compared to those that had been collected from a control group of trees. Germination was significantly different between fecal and control seeds, suggesting the plant germinated better after passing through the guans alimentary tract. The identification of flower structures, and digested seeds in feces show that guans can be effective fruit and flower predators. This study provides further information regarding the diet for conservation of the white-winged guan and suggests the bird may aid seed germination in some instances and may act as a predator in others.     

Nursery soil cover influences germination of Thujopsis dolabrata var. hondai seeds

We examined the influence of nursery soil cover on germination of Thujopsis dolabrata var. hondai. Seeds were sown under seeding bed conditions: (1) nursery soil (andosol) without soil cover, (2) Kanuma pumice without soil cover, (3) nursery soil with nursery soil cover, and (4) nursery soil with sterilized sand cover. Germination percentages were compared between these conditions. The germination percentage (8.8%) at 10 weeks after sowing under condition 3 was significantly lower than under conditions 1, 2, and 4 (56.8%, 52.0%, and 47.2%, respectively). Of the nongerminated seeds under condition 3, 75.0% were decayed and several fungi were isolated from decayed seeds. An inoculation test of isolated fungi Cylindrocarpon tenue, Cylindrocarpon sp., Fusarium oxysporum, and Botrytis sp. to seeds showed that these fungi caused seed decay. Our results indicated that nursery soil cover may not be suitable for T. dolabrata var. hondai seeds sown in nursery soil because of seed decay by pathogens.     

Desiccation-tolerance ofFagus crenata blume seeds from localities of different snowfall regime in central Japan

In beech (Fagus crenata Blume) forests on the Pacific Ocean side in Central Japan, snowpack depth is little and xeric conditions may prevail in winter, in contrast to heavy snow in beech forests on the Japan Sea side. The effects of such conditions during winter on the viability of beech seeds were studied at a beech forest on the Pacific Ocean side. Thickness and weight ratio of pericarp of beech seeds were significantly greater in populations on the Pacific Ocean side compared to the Japan Sea side, this apparently being related to snowpack depth in winter. During the initial stage of seed drying, the drying rate of seeds from the Fuji population (the Pacific Ocean side) was less than that from the Sumon population (the Japan Sea side), possibly due to the thicker pericarp. Germination percentage of seeds which dried to a water content as low as 7% d.w. did not decrease for either population, indicating desiccation tolerance of beech seeds. In the beech forest (University Forest at Yamanaka) on the Pacific Ocean side, water content of seeds sown below litter from both populations remained sufficient for viability during winter. Germinating seeds from the populations on the Japan Sea side were more desiccation-sensitive in early spring, compared to those from the Fuji population, partially due possibly to differences in pericarp thickness.     

Effect of seed coverings and seed pretreatments on the germination response of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Alnus glutinosa</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Betula pubescens</Emphasis> seeds

The germination of common alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn.) and downey birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh.) seeds is often poor in bare-root nurseries. The effect of a variety of seed coverings and a few seed pretreatments on seedling emergence was examined in this study in an attempt to address this problem. Seeds of each species were sown in trays containing nursery soil, covered with grit, gravel, sand, combinations of these coverings, a hydromulch or a sealed plastic cloche and then incubated for 6 weeks at 17–20°C. The grit combined with sand or gravel, the hydromulch and the cloche increased seedling emergence when compared with the standard grit. In another experiment, seeds of each species were fully imbibed (FI) (>50% moisture content, MC), as per standard practice, or adjusted to target MC (TMC) (30–35% MC) levels, and then chilled to release dormancy. Some seeds of each MC treatment were primed at 20°C for 2 days following chilling, after which all seeds were evaluated in laboratory tests and a nursery trial. Germination potential of the FI seeds declined in the lab tests by the second test date, which was reflected in low seedling emergence in the nursery in birch. The primed FI seeds of alder germinated most rapidly in the nursery, but other effects were not significant. Seedling emergence was better in the nursery in response to the TMC than the FI pretreatment in birch.

铁皮石斛phytocyanin基因家族全基因组分析

[目的]探讨Phytocyanins(PCs)在铁皮石斛发育过程和逆境胁迫环境下的潜在功能。[方法]利用拟南芥和水稻phytocyanin基因家族蛋白序列(At PCs和Os PCs),采用本地化软件BLASTP对铁皮石斛全基因组数据库进行搜索,并采用SMART和pfam数据库验证质体蓝素样结构域,获得铁皮石斛phytocyanin基因家族编码序列(Do PCs);利用Signal P4.1、Big-PI Plant Predictor、Net NGlyc1.0 Server等在线软件对Do PC家族序列的结构特点进行分析;利用软件Clustal W和MEGA对Do PC基因进行氨基酸序列的比对和系统进化分析;利用转录组数据绘制heatmap图对Do PCs基因在与美孢胶膜菌共生萌发的种子中的表达情况进行分析。[结果]显示:铁皮石斛全基因组中共预测到包含PCLD结构域的38个Do PCs,可分属4个亚家族,2个Cys残基在Do PCs家族中高度保守;19条Do PCs蛋白序列含有4个完整的保守铜结合配体(His、Cys、His、Gln/Met),有32条Do PCs骨架中含有N-端信号肽,22条Do PCs含有糖基磷脂酰肌醇锚定位点,有27条Do PCs含N-糖基化位点;16个Do PCs基因在与美孢胶膜菌共生萌发的种子中检测到表达,其中,Do UCL2,4和Do ENODL14基因表达量最高,7个基因在共生萌发的种子中明显上调表达,只有Do ENODL6基因明显下调表达。[结论]在全基因组范围内分析铁皮石斛Do PC家族蛋白结构特点,可以为探究兰科植物与微生物共生的相互作用及进一步研究兰科菌根形成的分子机制提供数据基础。     

Allelopathic behaviour of three medicinal plant species on traditional agriculture crops of Garhwal Himalaya,India

Allelopathic behaviour of three medicinal herbs viz. Rheum emodi, Saussaurea lappa and Potentilla fulgens, on some traditional food crops was examined. Germination of all the traditional food crops was reduced significantly under aqueous extracts of S. lappa and P. fulgens but radicle and plumule growth of Amaranthus caudatus and Eleusine coracana was reduced significantly under aqueous extracts of all three medicinal species. For marginal farmers sole medicinal plants cultivation is not possible, therefore, medicinal plants based agroforestry is being propagated.     

Applying the IDS method to remove seeds infested with the seed chalcid,Megastigmus spermotrophus Wachtl,in Douglas-fir,Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco

Douglas-fir seedlots were treated with the Incubation Drying Separation (IDS) method to test whether seeds infested with the seed chalcid, Megastigmus spermotrophus Wachtl, could be separated from non-infested seeds. Seeds were soaked in distilled water for 24 h, drained, placed in plastic bags and incubated at 15 °C for 3 days. The seeds were dried for either 0.5, 1, or 2 h at 25 °C, and then separated into floaters and sinkers in a water column. An average of 97% of the infested seed floated. The drying period did not affect the separation of infested seeds but significantly fewer sound seeds floated in the seedlots dried for 0.5 h than those dried for 1 h. Germination capacity of IDS-treated seeds did not differ from that of untreated seeds but the germination rate was significantly faster for IDS-treated seeds when all lots were stratified.     

Imbibitions, energy test and accelerated ageing in primed and non-primed seeds of Peltophorum dubium

Peltophorum dubium seeds were set to imbibe with four treatments, soaked with solution Captan 0.2% under 10and 27℃,PEG 6000 -1.0 MPa under 10 and 27℃. For each treatment there were four replicates with 40 seeds incubated in 9-cm Petri dishes with double filter paper moistened with testing solution. The imbibition curves showed that the final weight increase were from 70% to 150% in the treatments when imbibition entered a lag phase. Seeds were tested for effects on germination of five treatments: control group (nonprimed), primed with PEG6000 -1.0 MPa at 10 and 27℃, primed with Captan 0.2% at 10 and 27℃. For each treatment, there were three sub-treatments: seeds were soaked in distilled water for 12, 24 and 36h before the energy test. Germination percentages of nonprimed seeds and primed in PEG 27℃ soaked in distilled water during 12 h were the highest, reaching 100%. The lowest germination percentage occurred primed seeds with PEG6000 27℃ and soaked in distilled water during 36 h, which was only 52%. Germination mean time of primed seeds in PEG at 10℃, soaked 24 h was 1.08 days, mean time of primed seeds in PEG at 27℃ soaked 12 h was 2.42 days. Accelerated ageing results showed low or no germination after ageing 72 h. Control group had a higher germination percentage and seeds were more resistant to deterioration than those in primed groups, both in Petri dish (27℃) and vermiculate (room temperature).     

Litter dynamics and soil properties under different tree species in a semi-arid region of Rajasthan,India

Litterfall and decomposition are the two main processes accounting for soil enrichment in agroforestry. The extent of enrichment in soil properties depends on the tree species, management practices and the quantity and quality of litter. A field investigation was carried out to study litterfall production, decay rates, release of nutrients and consequent changes in soil physicochemical properties under crowns of four multipurpose tree species (MPTs) in irrigated conditions in farm fields. The species were Prosopis cineraria (L.), Dalbergia sissoo (Roxb.) ex DC, Acacia nilotica (L.) Del. and Acacia leucophloea (Roxb.) Willd. Annual accretion of litter ranged from 36 to 54 kg tree⁻¹ year⁻¹ and was highest under D. sissoo and lowest under A. nilotica. Total litterfall production was in the order: P. cineraria > A. leucophloea > A. nilotica > D. sissoo. P. cineraria showed the highest NPK concentration in litter. For all MPTs, a large pulse of litterfall coincided with the winter season (November to February). Litter of P. cineraria decomposed fastest while that of A. nilotica was slowest. More than 95% of the leaf litter of P. cineraria decomposed in 6 months, of D. sissoo in 7 months and A. leucophloea and A. nilotica in 9 months. Decomposition rate of litter was highly correlated with neutral detergent fibre (NDF) (r = −0.94) and P (r = −0.91) concentration. N, P and K release were best correlated with NDF, acid detergent fibre (ADF), P, lignin, lignin/N and C/P ratios and NDF alone explained 88% to 94% of the variability in litter decomposition and nutrient release rates. There was significant build up of soil organic carbon and available NPK in the agrisilvicultural systems but also a decrease in soil pH. Build up in soil fertility was significantly correlated with litterfall and soil improvement was greatest under P. cineraria.     

Spatial variation of seed rain and seed banks in gaps of karst forest in the Maolan Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province

Based on an investigation on gaps and non-gap stands of the Maolan National Karst Forest Nature Reserve, Guizhou Province, quantitative characteristics and dynamic changes of seed rain and seed banks in gaps were analyzed. The results show that the total amount of seed rain was 117.4 ± 32.6 seeds/m² during the period of observation. The number of immature seeds was 56.3 ± 10.3 seeds/m², that of mature damaged seeds was 15.7 ± 4.7 seeds/m², and the number of mature germinated seeds was 45.4 ± 8.2 seeds/m². It is suggested that the seed number is rich for gap regeneration. Seed rain in gaps has spatial and temporal heterogeneities which deeply affect regeneration patterns of gap plants. Along a gradient from the gap center to a non-gap stand, seed density in the litter layer, the number of species, and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index were gradually reduced, but these indices increased in the soil. The seed density in the gap center was 2415 ± 639 seeds/m², near the gap center was 2218 ± 421 seeds/m² and at the gap border area 1815 ± 311 seeds/m². This shows that plants in gaps have good latent regeneration potential. In both gaps and non-gap stands, the Jaccard similarity index of seed in litter layer was the largest, second largest at 5–10 cm soil depth, and the least at the 0–5 cm soil layer the index. The Jaccard index between the soil seed bank and the present plant community was large in the litter layer, but decreased with soil depth both in gaps and non-gap stands. The results show that soil seed banks are the main source of gap regeneration in the karst forests of Maolan and contribute significantly to gap regeneration. __________ Translated from Acta Botanica Yunnanica, 2007, 29(3): 327–332 [译自: 云南植物研究]     

“Target moisture content” prechill overcomes the dormancy of temperate conifer seeds

Temperate conifer seeds are often considered to be shallowly dormant because a dormancy breakage treatment such as incubation of moist seeds at 4°C (prechilling) for 3–6 weeks improves germination. However, longer prechill durations can induce germination during the cold phase. Since the delicate radicles of prematurely germinated seeds are easily damaged and killed during sowing, potential benefits of extended prechilling are unknown.Described here for the first time is a target moisture content (TMC) prechill. In this dormancy breakage method the seeds are chilled at moisture contents high enough for removal of dormancy but low enough to produce surface dry, free flowing seeds that do not germinate during chilling. The method is a simple, effective and practical way to restrict the amount of water available to seeds from the start of a prechill treatment. The TMC prechill was applied to three conifer species, Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco), Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas), and Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bongard) Carrière). All three species benefited from the TMC prechill. Extending the prechill period progressively improved germination by widening the range of temperatures over which germination occurred, raising germination capacity at most temperatures and increasing germination rate at all temperatures. The optimum prechill period combining high germination capacity and low mean germination time was 36 weeks for Douglas fir, from 36 to 76 weeks for Lodgepole pine and 36 or 76 weeks for Sitka spruce depending on incubation temperature. None of the seeds of any of the species germinated during the TMC prechill of up to 76 weeks at 4°C.This work is Crown copyright, reproduced by Kluwer Academic Publishers by permission of the Forestry Commission.     

The soil seed bank of the threatened plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Magnolia stellata</Emphasis> is subordinate to the emergence of current-year seedlings

We studied seed bank formation of the threatened star magnolia, Magnolia stellata, to examine the early stage of regeneration. Forty-five seedling plots (2 × 2 m), each including a soil-sampling quadrat (40 × 40 cm), were established randomly under or around the crowns of mature M. stellata trees. Seeds of M. stellata were collected from each quadrat to a depth of 5 cm. Only four seeds of M. stellata were found (0.56 seeds/m²) and all were located under mature crowns. Current-year seedlings were abundant in water channels, on moss, or under mature crowns, suggesting that the seeds may require wet soil conditions for germination. Magnolia stellata seeds show considerable germination below the crowns of mature trees in the year following masting, while some seeds remain dormant in the soil. Considering the soil seed bank and the current-year seedling bank of M. stellata, a frequent supply of seed is essential for the regeneration of this species. Thus, it is important to maintain mature trees in addition to promoting seed production.     

Walnut hoarding by the Japanese wood mouse,Apodemus speciosus Temminck

Walnuts,Juglans ailantifolia Carriere, are large and the shell is difficult to open. Thus, seed predators in Japan are restricted mainly to the Japanese squirrel (Sciurus lis Temminck) and the wood mouse (Apodemus speciosus Temminck), which can shave away the hard shells with their sharp incisors. Previous work indicated that the squirrels are not only predators, but also disperse walnuts. In this study, 95 walnuts in Period1 (September 1996–February 1997) and 80 walnuts in Period 2 (September 1999–February 2000) each attached to a miniature radio transmitter, were placed in a feeding box, and 93 and 53 of them were transported by free-living wood mice in the respective periods. Most of the walnuts provided from September to November were scatter-hoarded in the litter layer, while from December to February, the mice fed immediately and seldom scatter-hoarded on the ground surface. In all, 66 walnuts were hoarded and 80 were eaten soon after discovery, although walnuts were eaten more frequently in Period 1 than in Period 2, which may be related to annual differences in seed crop size in the study site. The mean transport distance of hoarded seeds was 6.2 ± 5.0 m (mean ± SD,n=66). The fate of hoarded walnuts was followed from September 1996 to May 1997; 21 (75%) of the scatter-hoarded walnuts were recovered, but 7 (25%) were left uneaten. Consequently, the Japanese wood mouse also plays a role in seed-dispersion of the walnut, but the transport distance for mice was shorter than that for squirrels.     

A study on Xingkai Lake pine gall rust

The Xingkai Lake pine (Pinus takahasii Nakai) gall rust caused byCronartium quercuum(Berk.) Miyabc: Shirai is a serious stem rust in the northeast region of China. The alternate host is oak (Quercus mongolica Fisch). Germination of both acciospores and urediospores was optimal at 12°C and occurred over a range of temperatures, from 4°C to 32°C. Teliospores germinated optimally at 16–18°C and over a range of 8–28°C. All spores germinated best under natural light and dark conditions. Direct light inhibited germination even when followed by darkness. The incubation periods of urediospores and teliospores in inoculation experiments were 6–16 days and 3–33 days respectively. Anatomical studies ofCronartium quercuum galls showed that rust hyphae freely ramify through the intercellular spaces within parenchymatous tissues of the cortex, phloem, cambium and xylem. Hyphae are perennial; large haustoria arc cylindrical with rounded or blunt ends. Among the 12 fungicides tested for control of the rust, pine-tar, pine-tar: diesel oil (1:1, 1:3, 1:5), 75% Bravo emulsion and 70% Mancozeb emulsion applied to the galls produced satisfactory results.     

The effect of different pre-sowing seed treatments, temperature and light on the germination of five Senna species from Ethiopia

The germination requirements of five Senna species: S. bicapsularis, S. didymobotrya, S. multiglandulosa, S. occidentalis and S. septemtrionalis have been investigated. Seeds possess dormancy which is caused by their hard seed coats hampering maximum, uniform and rapid germination. To overcome this dormancy, seeds of the five species were pre-treated with (a) mechanical scarification, (b) concentrated sulphuric acid for 15, 30, 45 and 60 minutes and (c) boiling water for 15, 30, 45 and 60 seconds. To determine the effects of temperature on the germination of seeds, pre-treated seeds from each species were incubated at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30°C. Germination was also tested in the dark. Both acid treatment and mechanical scarification resulted in fast and uniform germination. The highest germination (95–100%) for all species was obtained from seeds treated with sulphuric acid for 60 minutes. Mechanical scarification resulted in 100% germination in all the species except S. septemtrionalis (59%). Boiling water improved germination significantly in S. didymobotrya (98%), S. occidentalis (82%) and S. septemtrionalis (97%), but had very little effect on S. multiglandulosa and reduced germination in S. bicapsularis. Senna seeds germinated over a wide range of temperatures with the optimum temperatures for germination falling around 20–25°C. Germination was either completely inhibited or very low at 10°C. Seeds of all species germinated both in light and dark conditions.     

Somatic embryogenesis and histological analysis from zygotic embryos in Vitis vinifera L. ＇Moldova＇

We examined the somatic embryogenesis from and histological studies of zygotic embryos of seeds in European Grape ＇Moldova＇ （Vitis vinifera U ＇Moldova＇）. Primary calli were initiated on Nitsch and Nitsch （NN） medium supplemented with 1.0 mg·L^-1 2,4-D and 0.5 mg·L^-1 6-BA. Embryogenic calli were produced upon transfer to a NN medium with 0.5 mg·L^-1 6-BA and 2 mg·L^-1 NAA and somatic embryos were obtained on a half strength MS medium without plant growth regulators. During the somatic embryo germination, an addition of 1.0 mg·L^-1 6-BA in the medium could accelerate somatic embryos to develop into normal plants and increase the conversion rate from 0 to 43.3%. Histological studies of embryogenic calli and somatic embryos demonstrated dynamic changes of proteins and starch grains. The developmental processes of somatic embryos were similar to those of zygotic embryos, including typical epiderma, cotyledon primordium and vascular tissue.