Somatic Embryogenesis in Picea Mariana (Mill.)

Abstract

Black spruce (Picea mariana (Miller)) is one of seven spruce species native to North America. Its natural distribution extends from Labrador to Alaska and southward to New York, Minnesota, and Montana. The wood of Picea mariana is of great economic importance because of its wide use in the manufacture of paper pulp. It forms a considerable part of the pulpwood supply in Canada and north-central United States. At maturity the trees reach from 20 to 100 feet in height and six inches to three feet in diameter and the maximum age attained is about 200 years (Vincent, 1965). P. mariana is one of the hardiest conifers, it withstands extremes of heat and cold. There are a few reports on hybridization between P. mariana and other species i.e., red spruce (Picea rubens), white spruce (P. glauca), Jeddo spruce (P. jizoensis), Norway spruce (P. abies), and Serbian spruce (P. omorika) (Johnson, 1939; Wright, 1955). Hybrid swarms of P. rubens X P. mariana are common particularly in the suitable intermediate habitats which occur in the eastern part of the P. rubens range (Vincent, 1965).