This study investigated the tolerance to desiccation and freezing of tea seeds, embryonic axes (EAs) and cotyledonary embryonic axes (CEAs, consisting of EAs with portions of cotyledons still attached). No seeds germinated after desiccation and cryopreservation. EAs extracted from seeds desiccated to 18.9% moisture content (fresh weight basis) and cryopreserved showed 20.7% survival but plantlet production from these EAs was impossible. When EAs and CEAs were extracted from seeds before being submitted to desiccation and freezing, survival of control and frozen samples was equivalent with both types of materials. However, plantlet production was significantly higher from control and cryopreserved CEAs than EAs. The maturity stage of the seeds from which CEAs were extracted had an important effect on their survival and plant production percentages, mature seeds providing better results than early mature and late mature seeds. The highest percentages of plantlet production from cryopreserved CEAs, which ranged between 75.1 and 80.4%, were achieved for EA moisture contents between 21.5 and 15.0%.