THE GROWTH AND DIFFERENTIATION OF CULTURED BARLEY EMBRYOS

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Abstract
Norstog, Knut. (Wittenberg U., Springfield, Ohio.) The growth and differentiation of cultured barley embryos. Amer. Jour. Bot. 48(10): 876–884. Illus. 1961.—Cultures of excised embryos of barley, Hordeum vulgare L., were made on a number of different media. Growth on White's medium was promoted by adding coconut milk. In the absence of coconut milk, amino acids did not promote growth and differentiation. Embryos as small as 60 μ were successfully grown in vitro. Smaller embryos had the capacity to initiate root and shoot primordia but did not possess the ability to form such embryonic organs as the scutellum and epiblast. Proembryos developed shoots and roots only after a period of irregular growth in which unorganized masses of cells were formed. Multiple centers of shoot initiation were observed in such embryos. The results of the study suggest that, in barley at least, embryonic form may result from an interaction between the embryo and nutritional, spatial and other factors within the ovule.
Funding Information
  • National Science Foundation (G‐3212)