Abstract: On solid medium MS with 2,4-D 2 mg/l, calluses were induced in 4-6 weeks from petiole segments of a celery plant that was selected from cultivar "Florida". Suspension culture was started from callus in a hormone-free MS melium on a gyratory shaker(110 rpm.) at 26℃, and recu-ltured each wees. 2-3 weeks after, embryogenic suspension containing cells, cell aggregates, and somatic embryos of varying stages, were screened to obtain the somatic embryos with 1.0-1.5mm long. These embryos were encapsulated witn sodium alginate by dropping beads metbod. After solidification with 0.1M CaCl₂the celery synthetic seeds were produced. These artificial seeds geminated and grew up in sterile vermiculitc.

Key words: Apium graveolens, Plant cell culture, Somatic embryoge-, nesis Synthetic seeds