Forests are store houses of biodiversity. Tropical forests are the most biologically diverse and ecologically complex of terrestrial ecosystems. Most of the trees have viable dormant seeds which lay inactive. Adenanthera pavonina L. is a deciduous tree which has ecological and medicinal importance. The present study on Adenanthera pavonina L. aims to investigate the fruit - seed characteristics and germination employing various physical and chemical treatments. The seeds were subjected to a host of physical treatments - mechanical scarification, dry heat, leaching, light and chemical treatments - acid scarification, inorganic compounds to break the seed dormancy. Physical and chemical treatments had a significant effect on breaking the physical dormancy which is due to the presence of hard impermeable seed coat.
