The seed germination of the palm Euterpe edulis Mart. occurs in two distinct stages: protusion of the germination plug (cotyledonar growing) and the germination itself (radicular and plumule growing). By using the botanic criterion of the definition of germination there has been carried out tests aiming at establishing a quantitative correlation between the two stages of germinatíon. The equality of the two processes has been statistically established. The use of the criterion of protusion of the germinative plug as an indicator of the germination results in a reduction of 6 weeks in the duration of the tests.