Samanea tubulosa (Benth.) Barneby & JW Grimes (seven shells) is a tree plant native to the Mato Grosso Pantanal, whose seeds have dormancy probably caused by impregnability of its integument to water. This work was carried out to compare the efficiency of mechanical and chemical scarification for overcoming integumentary dormancy, and the effect of temperature on the germination of seeds of seven shells. We employed four different scarification procedures: those in control (without scarification); mechanical; with sulfuric acid for five minutes and with sulfuric acid for ten minutes. The temperature levels employed were 20, 25, 30 and 35ºC. Seeding was done on paper tower germitest, in the form of roll. The experimental design was completely randomized to treatment in a factorial 4x4. For each treatment, using four replicates of 25 seeds, we evaluated the germination percentage of seeds, used as primary root issue with 2 mm in length. We observed that S. tubulosa has integumentary numbness caused by its impregnability to water. The chemical scarifications with sulfuric acid for five and ten minutes were efficient in breaking the dormancy; and the scarification combinations with temperatures that promoted the highest percentages of germination for the species were those with sulfuric acid for five to ten minutes, at temperatures of 25, 30 and 35ºC.
Forest seeds; wetlands; dormancy
