Nodal explants excised from Eclipta alba L. plants maintained in vitro formed yellowish white, friable calluses after three weeks of culture on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 10.75 μM α-napthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 9.04 μM 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D). These calluses were subsequently transferred to MS basal medium where after an additional four weeks of culture, approximately 50% of the calluses could form somatic embryos. However, calluses formed on nodal explants that had been cultured on MS medium supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) did not produce somatic embryos upon transfer to MS basal medium. Somatic embryos were developed into plantlets and subsequently grown to maturity. These results indicate that nodal explants have high competence for somatic embryogenesis in Eclipta alba.
