Plantago ovata is a medicinal species of great importance cultivated in India, Iran and Pakistan.The seeds are known to contain 20 to 30% of mucilage, and are used by pharmaceutical industries in the treatment of chronic constipation, intestinal cancer and amoeba. India is the main world-wide exporter of Plantago ovata seeds.In Brazil, this species is known by the corporate name of Agiolax. The present work aimed to verify the effect of light and temperature on the germination of seeds of this species. Thus, 4 replications were used, each with 50 seeds put to germinate in filter paper humidified with 12mL distilled water, at 5 and 35Cº,at intervals of 5ºC, in the absence and presence of light. The seeds germinated both in the light and dark, presenting a neutral photoblastic behavior at the temperature range of 10 and 25ºC, with optimal range at 20 and 25ºC, when higher percentages and germination speed were verified.
Seed germination; temperature; light
