Objective:To master the dormancy characteristics and the methods of dormancy release of Sinopodophyllum hexandrum seeds.Methods:Three plant growth regulators ethephon(ETH),melato-nin(MLT)and gibberellin(GA3)were used to observe the effects of different soaking concentrations and soaking time on the germination characteristics of S.hexandrum seeds.Results:The optimal treat-ment conditions of ETH was 10 mg⋅L-1 soaking for 24 h,the germination rate reached 90.0%on the 45th day,and the germination delay was 17 d.The optimal treatment condition of MLT was soaked in 50 μmol⋅L-1 for 12 h,the germination rate reached 83.3%on the 45th day,and the germination delay was 16 d.The optimal treatment condition of GA3 was 200 mg⋅L-1 soaking for 24 h,the germination rate reached 80.0%on the 45th day,and the germination delay was 18 d.The plant growth regulator ETH had the most significant effect on promoting the germination of S.hexandrum compared to the oth-er two.Conclusion:The dense seed coat and the time of water saturation were significantly different be-tween the acid-etching group and the control group.The main reason for seed dormancy was the exis-tence of germination inhibitors in seeds.The three plant growth regulators had significant effects on the germination of S.hexandrum(P<0.05).This study explored the effective methods to break the dor-mancy of S.hexandrum seeds and improve the germination rate,which could provide scientific guid-ance and technical support for the large-scale artificial cultivation of S.hexandrum.