The morphological aspects of seed and seedlings can be used in taxonomy, in the
germination tests, in nursery practices and ecological studies with this species. The objectives of
this work were to describe and illustrate the internal and external morphology of seeds and seedlings,
the germination process and seedlings phase of sucupira-branca (Pterodon pubescens Benth.), to
make a method to evaluate quickly and efficiently the seed viability using tetrazolium salt and to
identify the most common seedlings abnormalities. The seed is eurispermic, with a hilum groove,
that is characteristic in the family. The germination is phanerocotylar-epigeous. In the seedling
phase the hypocotyl is short, cotyledon opposite to one side and the leaves have transparent points.
The aspects described and illustrated were very constant in the studied phases. The tetrazolium
salt (0.075%, 30oC) was efficient to evaluate the seed viability.