When stem cuttings were put in water the dormancy of the bud was broken. No inhibitory substances could be found in the leaves and no effect of exogenous growth substances could be detected. Dormancy of buds in the present case seems to be the result of the mechanical resistance imposed by the leaf sheath upon the bud. Gibberellic acid was very effective in promoting root formation in the woody stem cutting of Panicum maximum and the present results point to a direct effect on root initiation by gibberellic acid. © 1980 Academia.225392395