In vitro flowering of ginseng plants regenerated from zygotic embryos-derived somatic embryos of ginseng

Abstract

Mature zygotic embryos dissected from ginseng {ranaxginseng c.a. ivieyerj seeds were cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium containing various concentrations of 2,4-D and kinetin. Somatic embryos were induced directly from cotyledonary tissue and from intervening callus. The frequency of somatic embryo induction was up to 55% of zygotic embryo explants. Upon transfer onto half-strength MS medium supplemented with 1 mg BA/liter and 1 mg GAj/liter，most somatic embryos developed into plantlets. More than 50% of the plantlets flowered after 4 weeks ol culture, and some developed immature fruits in vitro. These results indicate that adulthood of ginseng root explants is not a prerequisite for flowering of plantlets regenerated through somatic embiyogenesis. Chemical names used: (2,4-dichlorophenoxy)acetic acid (2,4-D); /-(2-ftiranylmethyl)-LW-purin-6-ainine(kinetin); ^-(phenylmethyD-lH-purin-e-amine (BA): gibberellic acid (GA,).