Cassia excelsa Schrad. is a woody leguminosous uncommum in cerrado and shrubland of Brazilian northeast. It?s recommended to landscape place due it?s natural beauty. It could be useful in streets arborization due to its small size and could be used in reflorestation of degrated areas. The aim of this work was to extend the knowlege about the biology of this species and to study some aspects of dormancy release and the effects of temperature on the germinative process. Four replicates of 50 seeds were used for each treatment and germination was carried out in 9cm Petri dishes having filter paper moistened with destillated water. The seeds were examined each 24 hours and were considered germinated when radicle was 2mm long. The seeds present a hard coat and the most effective pre-treatment for dormancy release was acid scarification during 25 or 30min. presenting respectivy 97 and 93% of
germination. The minimal temperature observed for germination was between 12°C, the maximal between 39°C and the optimal between 15 and 36°C. The pre-imbibition on giberilic acid (40ppm) promoved an increase on the rate and percentage under 12°C.