This book volume has been divided into three sections and contains a total of 23 chapters. Section A contains eleven chapters covering topics such as studies of embryo development and cell biology of white spruce, proliferative somatic embryogenesis in woody species, somatic embryo germination and desiccation tolerance in conifers, performance of conifer somatic seedlings, apoptosis during early somatic embryogenesis, water relation parameters in conifer embryos, image analysis of somatic embryos, somatic embryogenesis in woody legumes, cold storage and crypreservation, and commercialization of plant somatic embryogenesis. Section B comprisis six chapters dealing with angiosperm woody plants such as somatic embryogenesis in myrtaceous plants, Laurus nobilis, Simarouba glauca, Magnolia spp., Juglans cinera, and somatic embryogenesis and evaluation of variability in somatic seedlings of Quercus serrata by RAPD markers. The chapters contained in Section C are focussed on somatic embryogenesis in gymnosperms, including Pinus patula, Encephalartos, Picea wilsonii, Pinus banksiana, hybrid firs, and Taxus. All the mansucripts have been peer reviewed and revised accordingly to improve the quality of these chapters. The final manuscripts were submitted as camera ready to publication, and editors had no opportunity to go through them again before the final printing. Authors were advised to prepare final camera-ready manuscripts carefully to avoid any mistakes. Therefore, editors are not respon sible for mistakes, if any, in this book volume. We are grateful to all the book chapter contributors for submitting their manuscripts in time, and to the reviewers for giving their free time to review the manuscripts.

Zusammenfassung
Contains chapters, which cover studies of embryo development and cell biology of white spruce, proliferative somatic embryogenesis in woody species, somatic embryo germination and desiccation tolerance in conifers, performance of conifer somatic seedlings, and apoptosis during early somatic embryogenesis.

Inhalt
Section A.- 1. Somatic embryogenesis in white spruce: Studies of embryo development and cell biology.- 2. Proliferative somatic embryogenesis in woody species.- 3. Somatic embryo germination and desiccation tolerance in conifers.- 4. Performance of conifer stock produced through somatic embryogenesis.- 5. Apoptosis during early somatic embryogenesis in Picea spp..- 6. Water relation parameters in conifer embryos: Methods and results.- 7. Image analysis for sorting somatic embryos.- 8. Somatic embryogenesis in woody legumes.- 9. Cold storage and cryopreservation of Camellia embryogenic cultures.- 10. Cryopreservation of embryogenic cultures of conifers and its application to clonal forestry.- 11. Commercialization of plant somatic embryogenesis.- Section B.- 12. Somatic embryogenesis in myrtaceous plants.- 13. Somatic embryogenesis induction in Bay Laurel (Laurus nobilis L.).- 14. Somatic embryogenesis in Simarouba glauca Linn.- 15. Somatic embryogenesis in Magnolia spp.- 16. Somatic embryogenesis and evaluation of variability in somatic seedlings of Quercus serrata by RAPD markers.- 17. Somatic embryogenesis from immature fruit of Juglans cinerea.- Section C.- 18. Somatic embryogenesis in Pinus patula Scheide et Deppe.- 19. Somatic embryogenesis in African cycads (Encephalartos).- 20. Somatic embryogenesis in Picea wilsonii.- 21. Somatic embryogenesis in Jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb).- 22. Somatic embryogenesis in hybrid firs.- 23. Somatic embryogenesis in Taxus.