A technological approach to the morphofunctional classification of forest species seedlings defines the essential structures in the evaluation of germination testing and identifies changes in this structures that suggest abnormalities. The objective was to associate morphofunctional seedling classification to seed germination testing using official germination methods for 50 forest species from Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest and Pantanal biomes. Morphofunctional classification and abnormalities were defined using seedlings from 232 germination pre-tests and 1,160 samples that were formed for each species using seeds from distinct locations and with at least three levels of vigor. The phanero-epigeal germination with a non-developed epicotyl predominated among species (84%). Common in hypogeal germination, the development of the epicotyl occurred only in seedlings of Anadenanthera colubrina and Erythrina speciosa, both with epigeal germination. The need to supply and sustain the great mass produced in its long life cycle, the presence of the primary root was considered essential for the normal seedling classification of these forest species. Curled, stunted, necrotic, bifurcated primary root and those retained in the seed coat or in the fruit structures, were the main abnormalities of the seedling root systems. Damages to the shoot system were uncommon.
abnormal seedlings; epigeal germination; hypogeal germination; tropical specie