Inhibitors localized at the micropyle and interacting with gibberellin impose dormancy on seeds of both Luzula spicata and L. parviflora from the Colorado Front Range. Removal of the inhibition by precise scarfication elicits germination in both species. Luzula spicata seeds lacking precise scarification were found germinated in tundra soil. Germination was experimentally induced in L. spicata by random scarification, which may be accomplished by repeated freeze—thaw cycles, followed by stratification for 2—3 months. The inhibitor in L. parviflora was inactivated by after—ripening. Germination requirements of L. spicata may represent adaptions to fall freeze—thaw cycles followed by extended chilling under accumulated snow in its tundra habitat. Luzula parviflora, a subalpine and montane species, lacks these adaptations.