To clarify the drought resistance and salt tolerance of Medicago varia and M. ruthenica at seed germination period, the effect of seed germination and seedling growth of the seed of M. ruthenica (collected from Jingtai) and M. varia (Algonquin) were studied by using different concentration of polyethylene glycol (PEG-6000) and NaCl solution to simulating drought and salt stress. The results showed that the both stress of NaCl and PEG decreased the germination percentage, germination index, vigor index of M. ruthenica and M. varia and inhibited the growth of plumule and radical. The differences of relative germination percentage between M. varia and M. ruthenica seeds were not significant under the PEG stress from -0.3 to -0.9 MPa and -1.5 MPa (P>0.05), but the relative germination percentage of M. varia was significantly higher than that of M. ruthenica under -1.2 MPa (P<0.05). The relative germination index of M. varia was significantly higher than that of M. ruthenica under PEG stress from -0.3 to -1.2 MPa, while the relative radical length were not significantly. The relative germination percentage of M. varia were significantly higher than that of M. ruthenica under the NaCl stress from -0.9 to -1.5 MPa, the relative germination index and relative vigor index of M. varia were significantly higher than that of M. ruthenica under the NaCl stress from -0.3 to -1.2 MPa. The comprehensive evaluation of the relative germination percentage, relative germination index, relative vigor index, relative plumule length and relative radical length of M. ruthenica (Jingtai) and M. varia (Algonquin)was done by membership function method which indicated that the drought tolerance and salt tolerance of M. varia seed were stronger than that of M. ruthenica . This result is not consistent with past understanding of \"drought resistance and salt resistance of M. ruthenica were stronger than that of M. sativa and M. varia.