Somatic embryos were observed as early as six days after subculturing immature embryos of Triticum aestivum L. (cvs Froid‐Centurk and Helge) in vitro on 2,4‐dichloro‐phenoxyacetate‐containing nutrient media. Embryo formation followed three pathways, each involving one of the scutellum's three basic tissue systems: dermal, ground and vascular.(1) Single epithelial layer cells divided tangentially to give pseudothallus‐like structures which, through radial and oblique divisions, assumed polar, proembryoid symmetry.(2) In actively dividing ground tissues, localized asymmetrical division in some cells resulted in proembryoids. When contiguous with each other, the proembryoids could be identified as a proembryonic mass.(3) Oblique divisions in some cells of the scutellum's procambium resulted in daughter cells of unequal size, from the smaller of which the embryoid's root would eventually form.