Wheat proembryos were excised 7 days after anthesis and germinated to normal fertile plants with an efficiency of 90%. These embryos had clearly differentiated shoot apical meristems and represent an interesting model system for studies of meristem biology. A combination of two media with different osmolarities allowed the continued development of the embryos before induction of germination. Normal germination occurred only after the first leaf primordium had already covered the shoot apical meristem.