This experiment was carried out during 2006 and 2007 seasons, at the glasshouse of the Experimental Area, Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University. The objective was to study the effect of some pre-sowing treatments and seed age on germination of Seaforthia elegans L., Palm seeds. The results revealed that, all pre-sowing treatments improved germination, compared with the untreated seeds. Soaking scarified seeds in GA3 solution at 1000 ppm/72 h, before warm stratification at 35°C/3 weeks, produced the best germination parameters, namely germination percentage, germination velocity and germination rate index (G.R.I.). Also, soaking unscarified seeds in GA3 before warm stratification gave similar results. This treatment was followed by warm stratification or GA3 treatments accompanied with scarification. Meanwhile, soaking unscarified seeds in GA3 or stratifying them at warm temperature, gave satisfactory results, compared with mechanical scarification treatment. The improvement in germination was accompanying with an increasing in total soluble sugars, total soluble indoles and indole/ phenol ratio in the germinated seeds, whereas total soluble phenol was reduced.
The results show that, sowing freshly harvested seeds gave the highest germination percentage followed by 4-months old seeds, whereas 8-months old seeds produced the lowest germination percentage. Germinated freshly harvested seeds contain more soluble sugars and soluble indoles, compared with old seeds. On contrary, total soluble phenols was more in the old germinated seeds. It could be concluded that scarified freshly harvested seeds, which were soaked in GA3 solution at 1000 ppm/72 h and stratified at 35°C/3 weeks could be recommended for improving the germination of Seaforthia elegans seeds.