The biometry of fruits and seeds of Parkia nitida was studied, as were the effects of mechanical escarification without (T2) and with (T3) Benomyl fungicide, immersion of seeds in hot water at 80ºC (T4) and at 100°C (T5), and immersion in H3SO4 during 10 (T6), 20 (T7), 40 (T8) and 80 (T9) minutes. Treatment effects were evaluated by counting total germinated seeds at 10, 20, 30 and 40 days after sowing. The experiment was established with four replications of 50 seeds, which were sown in vermiculite. The number of fruits per inflorecense varied from one to eight. The length and width of fruits and the number of seeds per fruits ranged from 36.0 to 80.0 cm, 4.6 to 6.5 cm and 17 to 37 seeds, respectively. The length, width and thickness of seeds ranged from 16.1 to 24.0 mm, 8.1 to 14.0 mm and 5.1 to 9.0 mm, respectively. There was a significant interaction between scarification methods and period required for seeds to germinate. Regression analysis was significant for T2, T3, T4, T6 and T8. Germination under T4 was only 10%, but T2 and T3 had satisfactory effects on seed germination (50.0% and 72.5%, respectively). The treatments with H2SO4 were the most efficient, with mean germination of 80.0%, 82.5%, 80.0% and 74,5% for 10, 20, 40 and 80 minutes of immersion, respectively. Germination of seeds subjected to T1 (control) and T5 was lower than 2.5%. It was concluded that seeds of P. nitida have dormancy caused by integument impermeability; it is necessary to treat the seeds to obtain high germination percentage. Treatments using H2SO4 for 20 minutes and mechanical escarification of seed treated with fungicide were the best for breaking dormancy.
legume; seed; dormancy; germination