Albizia lebbeck Benth. is an economically important woody legume and can be utilized for biomass production and reforestation programs. Vegetative methods for mass clonal propagation have not been available for this tree species. We established callus culture using leaf explants on modified Murashige and Skoog's medium (1962). The explants showed various growth behavior in culture with different combinations and concentrations of growth factors. After several trials with the addition of 6-BAP, IBA (6/0.25 mg/l) coconut milk 12%(v/v) and casein hydrolysate (70 mg/l) we obtained somatic embryoids from the cultured tissue. We utilized the original yellow friable callus to establish suspension culture with Gamborg's B5 liquid medium (without agar). We were also able to induce somatic embryogenesis in the suspension cultures of this tree species (not reported previously) using Gamborg's B5 medium that we modified with kinetin, IBA (4.5/0.05), casein hydrolysate (300 mg/l) and adenine sulfate(1.5 g/l). We used root tips for karyotypic analysis to confirm the genetic stability of the regenerants. We followed pre-treatment with para-dichlorobenzene, fixation with Carnoy’s fluid, staining with 2% aceto-orcein and squashing the root tissue with 45% acetic acid to study the somatic chromosomes. The regenerated plants maintained the constant somatic chromosome number for this species which is 2n = 26. We also studied their growth behavior in the green house by taking periodical measurements of the developing twigs. The trees exhibited normal development with a fast growth rate, they reached the apex of the green house with a height of 20 feet in eight months.

Key words: Albizia lebbeck, growth behavior., karyotype, somatic embryogenesis, suspension culture