The aim of this study was to analyze the stress effects caused by sowing depth and the amounts and in the substrate; characterize the fruits and seeds of Hancornia speciosa (Mangaba); to analyze the germination and the initial development, 150 days after planting. A total of 572 fruits, collected in three localities in the Porto Nacional - TO region, were analyzed for longitudinal and transverse length, fresh mass, number of seeds and seed mass. The results showed values higher than those found in other studies, indicating that the fruits presented larger size and mass, although they presented a higher number of seeds per fruit. Germination potential was analyzed in the laboratory, and the effects of seeding depth and percentage of sand on the substrate, germinability and development were studied in the plant nursery. In the laboratory and plant nursery, respectively, the percentage of germination was 74.4% and 51.5%; mean germination time of 11 and 17 days and synchronization of germination of 2.79 and 2.75. The Weibull cumulative model to express germination behavior of H. speciosa had a good fi t of the model to describe the observed data and its parameters (G, , ) served to compare the effect of germination expression on time. Both germination and early development characters should be best when applied at 1 cm depth and add up to 15% sand to the substrate.
