Abstract: A reproducible 3-step procedure of somatic embryogenesis of Gossypium hirsutum L. cv. Coker 312 has been developed. Calli were initiated on LSC medium containing 0.1mg/L 2,4-D plus 0.1 mg/L KT from cotyledon tissue of 5-day-old-seedlings, and subcultured on the same medium with 4 mg/L NAA and 1 mg/L KT. Embryogenic calli and few globular embryos developed at a frequency of 67.5% after 55 days’ culture in the latter medium. When the embryogenic calli were transferred to growth regulator-free medium, embryogenesis occured and all stages of normal zygotic embryos, globular-, heart- and arrowhead- or torpedo-shaped embryo, ,were developed. Cyto-histological study showed that embryogenic calli were very easily distinguished from non-embryogenic calli. Embryoids were mainly initiated from the cells in the peripheral area of embryogenic calli. At the early stage the development of embryoid was limited in a boundary of thicken cell wail. There were 2 peaks of starch accumulation in the process of embryogenesis, one was at the early globular stage, and the other at the later torpedo-shaped stage.

Key words: Gossypium hirsutum L., Somatic embryogenesis, Cytohistochemistry, Starch Grain