Astragalus membranaceus and A. membranaceus var. mongholicus are the source species of the bulk medicinal herb Astragali Radix（Huangqi）， and they serve as strategic resources for global natural medicines and functional foods. Research on seed dormancy and germination in the two taxa is crucial for ensuring the authenticity of medicinal materials and industrial sustainability. This article systematically reviewed studies published since 1975 on their seeds， aiming to clarify the commonalities and differences in the seed dormancy and germination between the two Astragalus taxa. Seeds of the two Astragalus taxa exhibited combinational dormancy（physical dormancy+physiological dormancy）， whose dormancy characteristics were collectively determined by the physical barrier formed by the dense seed coat， the inhibitory effect of endogenous inhibitors， and the physiological dormancy mediated by the abscisic acid（ABA）/gibberellic acid（GA） signaling pathway. The interspecific heterogeneity in dormancy and germination of the two Astragalus seeds represented an adaptive strategy for niche differentiation. Based on these traits， targeted dormancy-breaking techniques have been developed， including physical， chemical， microbial， and priming treatments. Additionally， seed germination of the two Astragalus taxa in response to environmental factors（temperature， water， and salinity-alkalinity） also showed significant inter-taxonomic heterogeneity. Despite sharing the “GA intermediate pre-storage” trait， the two Astragalus taxa had divergent molecular regulatory strategies for dormancy and germination. Current research on seed dormancy and germination of the two Astragalus taxa has advanced from empirical exploration to mechanism-driven investigation； however， bottlenecks remain， such as incomplete elucidation of molecular mechanisms and insufficient understanding of microbe-seed interactions. Future studies should integrate multi-omics and gene editing technologies to further elucidate the mechanisms underlying dormancy and germination， and establish taxon-specific precision regulation protocols. This review will provide robust support for the sustainable development of the Astragali Radix industry and the advancement of theories related to seed dormancy and germination.
%U https://bbr.nefu.edu.cn/EN/10.7525/j.issn.1673-5102.2026.01.003