Physiological, physical, and morpho-anatomical changes in Libidibia ferrea ((Mart. ex Tul.) L.P. Queiroz) seeds after overcoming dormancy

Seed dormancy is a phenomenon that affects the distribution of plant species in time. However, it may slow germination and consequently hinder seedling production in nurseries. Many seeds of forest species of the Fabaceae family, such as Libidibia ferrea (Brazilian ironwood), have physical dormancy caused by impermeability of the seed coat to water. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological, physical, and morpho-anatomical characteristics of L. ferrea seeds before and after application of different treatments for overcoming dormancy. We evaluated the imbibition curves, germination percentage, germination speed index (GSI), the force required to puncture the micropylar region, and morpho-anatomical changes through images obtained from a scanning electron microscope (SEM) before and after application of treatments for overcoming dormancy. L. ferrea seeds immersed in sulfuric acid show a triphasic pattern of imbibition. The required force to puncture the micropylar region of L. ferrea seeds is less for both the treatment with boiling water and for treatments with sulfuric acid. In addition, the required force to puncture the micropylar region decreases during imbibition of the seeds after application of sulfuric acid. The time of application of sulfuric acid influences the thickness of the material removed from the macrosclereid layer of the seed coat.