ABSTRACT
Somatic embryos directly formed at cut edges or on the surface of leaf explants, around cut ends or along side surfaces of petiole and stem explants of 'Golden Pothos' [Epipremnum aureum (Linden & Andre) Bunt.] on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with N-(2-chloro-4-pyridyl)-N'-phenylurea (CPPU) or N-phenyl-N'-1, 2, 3-thiadiazol-5-ylurea (TDZ) with alpha-naphthalene acetic acid (NAA) and a medium called MK containing MS salts with Kao's vitamins, supplemented with 2.0 mg/l TDZ and 0.2 mg/l NAA. Somatic embryos were also produced on MS medium containing 2.0 mg/l kinetin (KN) and 0.5 mg/l 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) from leaf and petiole explants, MS medium supplemented with 2.0 mg/l CPPU and 0.5 mg/l 2,4-D from petiole and stem explants, and 2.0 mg/l TDZ and 0.2 mg/l or 0.5 mg/l 2,4-D from stem explants. In addition, somatic embryos occurred from stem explants on Chu's N6 medium containing 2.0 mg/l CPPU and 0.2 mg/l NAA. Somatic embryos matured and grew into multiple buds, shoots, or even plantlets after 2-3 months on the initial culture medium. Germination was optimal on MS medium containing either 2 mg/l 6-benzylaminopurine (BA) and 0.2 mg/l NAA or 2 mg/l zeatin and 0.2 mg/l NAA. Shoots elongated better and roots developed well on MS medium with no growth regulators. Approximately 30-100 plantlets were regenerated from each explant. The regenerated plants grew vigorously after transplanting to a soil-less container substrate in a shaded greenhouse.