Somatic Embryogenesis in Oil Palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.)

Abstract

Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) belongs to the family Aracaceae. At the adult stage, this arborescent monocotyledon shows typical features of palms with a crown consisting of 40–50 opened, palmate leaves and a cone with 40–50 leaves at various development stages at the end of an unbranched stem. Growth is ensured by a single terminal meristem which produces an average of two leaves per month.