Poor knowledge of the physical traits of forest species seeds causes difficulties in developing methodologies for their assessment and preservation. Senna macranthera (Collad.) Irwin et Barn. is a leguminous pioneer plant that belongs to the Caesalpinioideae. It is popularly known as "fedegoso" and its seeds have tegumentary dormancy. In this study, physical characterization of fedegoso seeds was obtained by evaluating the Sauter mean diameter, sphericity, densities (real, apparent and bulk), porosity, dynamic angle of repose and weight of 1000 seeds: 3.3 mm; 0.52; 1397.2 kg.m-³; 1371.9 kg.m-³; 884.4 kg.m-³; 1.81%; 10º and 41.05 g, respectively. S. macranthera seeds were packed in plastic bags and stored in a conventional refrigerator at 5 ºC for 280 days and analyzed periodically for germination and moisture content. The seeds were chemically scarified by immersion in concentrated sulphuric acid for 20 minutes to break dormancy. The germination tests showed that seeds remained viable during storage.
fedegoso; density; porosity; sphericity; viability
