Short communicationSomatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration from cultured young inflorescences of Oryza sativa L. (rice) Abstract. Compact caUi initiated from young inflorescences of Oryza sativa L. (rice) on the Linsmaier and Skoog's (LS) medium containing 1 to 2.5 mg/1 of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) were used for regeneration studies. After smooth and compact nodules appeared, these calli were transferred to the regeneration medium containing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and either kinetin or 6-benzylaminopurine (BAP). Somatic embryos developed in ten days and were examined by histological studies. Some of the embryos showed scutellum-like structures and a coleoptile-coleorhiza bipolar organization. Regenerated plants had the normal chromosome number of 2n = 24.