The ?chapéu-de-couro? is a medicinal plant that grows in low and wetlands and is widely used by people. There are few informations about seed harvest time, dormancy and longevity. The aims of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dormancy breaking methods; verify the harvest time on seed germination and longevity; and analyze the growth of seedlings and 1000 seeds weight. Seeds and plants were harvested in occurence natural area at three different sites and times: Santa Maria, RS, in Nov/96; Pelotas, RS, in Mar/97 and Jaguarão, RS, in Dec/96. Seeds were dried, in natural conditions and with heated air at 35ºC, and stored in a dry chamber and natural conditions for two years and analyzed trimonthly. Were analyzed the dormancy breaking methods and germination percent of storing seeds after 45 days of the test start. The plants were transplanted to an experimental area in Pelotas, RS, and seeds were harvested, dried with heated air and stored in dry chamber. The following parameters were analyzed: germination percent, early growth of seedlings and 1,000 seed weight. The results obtained allow to conclude that: the method of dormancy breaking is the imbibition in sand at 38ºC for four days and germination at 25ºC, with light, for four days; seeds show 25% of germination after 20 months of storing in dry chamber and after eight months in laboratory conditions; early growth of seedlings is very little
and slow and the 1,000 seed weight is 0.21g.