Abstract: The experiment aimed at observing the origin and development of somatic embryos of Liriodendron chinense × L. tulipifera by scanning 6lectron microscopy. The results showed that the structure differences between embryogenic callus and non-embryogenic callus were distinct. We found that the cells of embryogenic callus were often small and equal. There were cell masses consisting of many embrgogenic cells and had the shape of ball. While the cells of non-embryogenic callus were so big that they cannot form cell masses and there was interspace between them. The embryogenic cells can propagate rapidly and some of them formed the primitive cell of the somatic embryos. The plantlet regenerations were developed from global embryo, heart-shaped embryo, torpedo-shaped embryo and cotyledon embryo. The embryogenic tissue cultured from Liriodendron hybrids had a significant polarity and relative independence. The somatic embryo, especially the mature somatic embryo, would become incompact with embryogenic callus and fall off easily.