Morphological characterization of fruits and seeds provides subsidies for species differentiation and characterization of ecological aspects of plants, such as dispersion, seedling establishment and ecological succession phase . Thereare few studies reported in regard to Erythrina variegata L. and in the literature there is no information about its behavior, especially about its system of propagation in the State of Espírito Santo. The objective of this study was to investigate the morphology of the fruits, seeds and seedlings of this species, characterizing the fruits externally, the seeds internally and externally, and describing the process of development and differentiation of the phases of the seedlings, as well as collecting information regarding the seed germination, using a completely randomized experimental design with the following treatments: intact seeds (control); mechanical scarification with sandpaper number 120, on the opposite side to the embryo; scarification with sandpaper and posterior soaking in water at ambient temperature for 6, 12 and 24 hours; thermal shock; and soaking in water at ambient temperature for 12 and 24 hours. The seeds did not show themselves impermeable to water through their teguments, thus, not requiring pre-germination treatments.
morphological characterization; dormancy; plant propagation
