Lespedeza species are mainly used for wildlife food and cover and for erosion control. The germination of these species can be enhanced after a fire occurrence in forest, which is known as fire-activated seeds to germinate. While the heat treatment could break seed dormancy of Lespedeza, its germination rate was quite low. We investigated that chemical scarification could promote germination of L. tomentosa. Seeds were soaked in 100% sulfuric acid (H2SO4) for 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96, 192, and 384 min, and then washed in distilled water for 24 h. Very few seeds were germinated in control (H2SO4 for 0 min). More than 90% of seeds were germinated in H2SO4 for 24, 48, and 92 min. However, some damage was observed in roots and cotyledons of seedling dipped in H2SO4 for a long time. To search the optimal soaking time in H2SO4 without defects, seeds scarified in H2SO4 for 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, and 300 min were sown the commercial soil medium. Seeds treated with H2SO4 for 90 min and 150 min emerged by about 92% and 84%, respectively. Therefore, H2SO4 treatment could break the seed dormancy of Lespedeza species, and especially in case of L. tomentosa the optimal treatment time in sulfuric acid was one to two hours. Germination of L. tomentosa began promptly following the scarification and was completed within about one month, indicating that seeds has no physiological dormancy, just has physical dormancy.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of seed storage temperature and pre-treatment on seed ger-mination, seedling quality and vigor index of wild Trichosanthes kirilowii and Trichosanthes kirilowii var. japonica. As a resultthe highest germination rate of T. kirilowii was the 95% at seed stored in room temperature and then soaking for 24 hours indH₂O. And the highest germination rate of T. kirilowii var. japonica was 96% at seed stored in 2℃ and then soaking for 24hours in GA₃(100ppm). But the seed germination rate was non-significance in pre-treatment at seed stored in roomtemperature 2℃ .Seedlings of T. kirilowii and T. kirilowii var. japonica showed not only the best seedling quality but alsoseedling vigor index in seed stored at 2℃ and then soaking for 24 hours in GA₃(100ppm). In this research, T. kirilowii and T.kirilowii var. japonica seed were stored in room temperature or 2℃, and then sown in peat moss, seed germination rate wasmore than 90% and production of superior quality seedlings.