Abstract: In order to determine the internal factors inhibited seed germination of Hedysarum laeve Maxim, the moisture, absorbent law, seed germination characteristics, endogenous ABA and IAA content of shelled or pods under cold stratification were studied. The results showed that the moisture of seeds with pods was 9.16%, while the shelled was 8.92%; the soaking process all included sharp soaking, stable soaking and saturated soaking stages. The maximum water absorption rate of the shelled reached 0.7475 g/h, which was 4.79 times of the pods, and the shelled spent about half time reaching saturated soaking stages compared with the pods. The shelled germination rate and germination index could attain 81.67% and 33.27, which were 8.167 and 38.39 times contrasted with the control group, pods with 60-day cold stratification was following, which reached 46.67% and 4.19; the inhibitor ABA content of CK was relatively the highest, reaching 7921.12 ng/mL, ABA content after 80-day cold stratification could drop down to 4590.85 ng/mL. If the germination percentage, germination index, endogenous ABA content and IAA/ABA ratio were all considered, it is suggested that the optimum condition to improve seed germination characteristics for Hedysarum laeve Maxim should be shelled to improve their water absorption or the pods treated by cold stratification at 4℃, 60-day.