This study was carried out with the aim of determining the most efficient methodology to overcome dormancy in Bauhinia divaricata seeds. The 12 treatments employed were: control - intact seeds (T1); mechanical scarification with sandpaper (T2); coating cutting in the opposite side of micropylar region (T3); immersion in water and at room temperature during 24 hours (T4); immersion in water (50, 60 and 70ºC) during three minutes (T5, T6 and T7, respectively); immersion in hot water (80ºC) during three, six and nine minutes (T8, T9, and T10, respectively); and immersion in boiling water during one and two minutes (T11 and T12, respectively). Effects were evaluated considering emergency and vigor tests (first count, speed mean time to emergency, length and dry mass of seedlings and relative frequency emergency). The experiment was installed in greenhouse and sown was done in plastic trays containing sand. The experimental design used was a completely randomized with four replicates of 25 seeds and the averages were compared through the Tukey test, at 5% probability. The were significant differences among the treatments for all variables. The most probable cause for the dormancy is the impermeability of the seed coating and the most efficient treatment to overcome were coating cutting in the opposite side of micropylar region.
cow paw; germination; vigor; forest seeds; medicinal plant
