COMPARATIVE STUDIES ON SOMATIC EMBRYOGENESIS IN CAMELLIA SINENSIS VAR. SINENSIS AND C. SINENSIS VAR. ASSAMICA (MAST.) PIERRE.

THIPMANI PARATASILPIN

ABSTRACT: Excised cotyledons of China tea (Camellia sinensis VaT. sinensis) and Assam tea (C. sinensis var. assamica) were cultured on modified MS basal medium containing 0.1-4 mg/l IBA and 0-10 mg/l BA and B₅ basal medium supplemented with 0.1-0.3 mg/l NAA and 1-5 mg/l 2iP. Somatic embryos were formed directly on the surface of the explants of both varieties without callus formation within 3 months after culturing. Excised cotyledons of China tea responded to all media tested but those of Assam tea did not. The percentage of cultured explants producing somatic embryos were higher but the average number of embryos produced per culture was lower for China tea than for Assam tea. The best medium to produce the highest percentages of cultures with somatic embryos and the largest number of somatic embryos produced per culture in both tea varieties was B₅ containing 0.1 mg/l NAA and 2 mg/l 2iP in which plantIet regeneration of China tea was observed. Somatic embryos of Assam tea did not develop to the plantlet stage upon successive subcuIturings but produced numerous secondary adventitious embryos under the same cultural conditions.

(Abbreviations IBA-indolebutyric acid, NAA= naphthaleneacetic acid, BA= 6-benzyladenine, 2iP= 2-isopentenyla-denine)

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Biology Department, Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, 50002 Thailand.Thailand.

Received 7 June 1989