Somatic embryony patterns and plant regeneration inIpomoea batatas poir

Patterns of somatic embryo development from callus were elucidated inIpomoea batatas Poir. (sweet potato). Embryos at three stages of development were able to grow into plants. They included embryos arrested at the late torpedo and cotyledonary stages, and an arrested torpedo embryo that resulted from precocious hypocotyl expansion. Early torpedo-stage embryos rooted on reculture but did not form shoots. A diversity of other embryo stages were also produced which upon reculture formed only adventitious embryos and roots. Morphologic variants with similar growth potential were noted among embryos at similar stages of development. Plasticity in somatic embryo developmental patterns led to different forms that were mature enough to produce plants.