Ruta graveolens L., also known as rue, is from the south of Europe, cultivated in Brazil and other countries as a medicinal plant greatly used in religious rituals. Since germination is essential for the seed to generate a vigorous plant of high productive potential, this work aimed to evaluate the germinative response of rue seeds under different temperatures, luminosity conditions, and water and salt stress, besides seedling emergence at different sowing depths. Ruta graveolens L. seeds are indifferent to light, better germinating at constant temperature of 25ºC or alternated temperature (20-30ºC). The osmotic potentials induced by mannitol from -0.4MPa and by NaCl from -0.8MPa negatively influenced the germination process. Higher seedling percentages are obtained when the species is sown on the substratum surface.
light; temperature; osmotic potential; salt stress; sowing depth
