Dynamic parameters of physiology including embryo ratio (ER), embryo length to endosperm length, dry weight ratio between embryo and endosperm (DWR) and respiration rate (RR) in American send (Panax quinquefolium L.) seed were investigated. According to the changes of ER during seed stratification, the duration of embryo afterripening could be divided into three stages as circled1 embryo slow growth stage (ESGS), ER increased from 7.31% to 20.48% (0.16% day-1): circled2 embryo rapid growth stage (ERGS), ER increased to 80.98% (0.61% day-1) (75G5+ ERGS=morphological afterripening stage (MP,5)) and circled3pysiological afterripening stage (PAS), ER Increased to 88.50% (0.094 day-1) only. DWR Increased slowly from 0.20% to 2.76clp (0.016% day-1) in MAS and rapidly to 8.81% (0.061% day-1) in PAS. The RR correlated significantly with ER as well (r=0.8934 > rot, 0.6610). The steep increment of both DWR and RR in PAS indicated that the PAS was not a static stage although the ER was not changed too much. All of these may provide some information for understanding the dormancy mechanisms of American sting seed.