Through observation of the microstructure of seeds and investigation of seed germination rate under various treatments, factors that influence germination and ecological adaptability of Arabidopsis pumila, a Xinjiang-originated ephemeral plant species were analyzed. Results showed: (1) temperature and light had little effects on seed germination rate (GR) of A. pumila, implying that the environmental sensitivity of the species in germination stage is relatively low; (2) The GR of seeds produced in natural habitat was significantly lower than those from green-house, suggesting that environmental conditions play a crucial role in seed development, and consequently influenced the germination of those seeds. (3) GA3 treatment promoted the germination of seeds produced from natural habitat by increasing the activity of embryos. GR of the GA-treated seeds was increased more than 50% over the untreated ones; (4)Mechanically altering the seed coat to make it loose, or permeable to gases, such as acupuncturing, or cutting, or peeling of seeds, could increase GR more than 70%. (5) Both NaCl and PEG-6000 treatments inhibited germination, however some non-germinable seeds germinated after rehydration, suggesting that salt and drought could induce seed dormancy of A. pumila in a low degree. Taken together, we conclude that the germination characteristics of A. pumila seeds are highly adapted to its habitat.