Seed starting chronicles 2012

[Lori S.]

Re. eFlora of China's treatment of Syncalathium souliei as Melanoseris souliei:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=2&taxon_id=132065

The Plant List doesn't seem to agree; it shows Syncalathium souliei as a recognized species, but not Melanoseris souliei... but who knows how well Chinese alpines are integrated into this list?
http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/gcc-34700
http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/search?q=Melanoseris+souliei

[Lori S.]

A few more...
Geranium magniflorum - from the NARGS seedex, ex. Joubert's Pass, E. Cape, S. Africa; germination in 7 days at room temp; scarifying certainly does seem to promote rapid germination!


Inula cf. kitamurana - seeds from Holubec, collected "Russia, Zhdanko, Sakhalin, 180m elevation, rocky grassland, perennial, 40cm high, large yellow flws, 2011", germination in 6 days at room temp.


True leaves now on Salvia pachyphylla:

[Fermi]

Fermi, I've always been curious about your seed sowing technique where it looks like the gravel mulch is "domed" and filled right to the brim of the pots; is this done for drainage purposes?  From what I've seen, you get good germination.

Hi Mark,
not sure if I picked this up from the Brits or someone here - in UK literature it is referred to having the topping "proud" of the rim! Watering has to be from below or by a very, very gentle trickle. The potting mix is not tamped down so that the mix remains well-aerated, it gradually settles down over time.
The idea is that the seedling emerges above the rim of the pot because when the soil level settles down below the rim then it leaves a hollow which doesn't allow good air-flow and this can lead to 'damping off' of the seedlings. At least that's what I've heard and the sinking of the soil level is a problem if the seedlings aren't divided quickly.
I hope this makes sense
cheers
fermi

[Todd Boland]

Update germination: keep in mind the day temps are generally 12-15 C

Direct sown Feb. 3, germinated Feb. 13 (10 days to germinate)

Aster likiangensis
Dianthus brevicaulis

Stratified Dec. 21/11, brought into heat Feb. 2/12, germinated Feb. 13/12 (11 days to germinate)

Draba rigida
Scutellaria alpina
Penstemon richardsonii
Penstemon ovatus


Stratified Nov. 10/11, brought into heat Jan. 29, germinated Feb. 13 (15 days to germinate)

Digitalis viridiflora
Digitalis ferruginea ssp. schischkinii
Primula sinoplantaginea
Patrinia heterophylla
Draba oligosperma
Draba rosularis
Gentiana loderi
Phlomis cashmeriana
Phlomis tuberosa
Globularia bisnagarica
Globularia trichosantha
Globularia punctata
Epilodium dodonaei
Saponaria pumila
Potentila nivea (native)
Dryas integrifolia (native)
Minuartia rubella (native)

[Todd Boland]

Direct sown Feb. 1, germinated Feb. 15 (15 days to germinate)

Meconopsis prattii (keeping fingers crossed on this one!)

Stratified Dec. 21/11, brought into heat Feb. 2/12, germinated Feb. 15/12 (13 days to germinate)

Draba densiflora
Potentilla pyrenaica


Stratified Nov. 10/11, brought into heat Jan. 29, germinated Feb. 13 (17 days to germinate)

Digitalis obscura
Allium lusitanicum
Primua zambalensis
Lomelosia graminifolia

[Tim Ingram]

I can only just about keep up! There is some great information in this thread. I have quite a few of the seeds Lori mentions from the Czech collectors yet to sow. Really interested by the Ebenus species; I grew E. cretica from Archibald seed for several years in the garden - lovely foliage and rather extraordinary heads of flowers, all in all like a cross between a clover and a lupin. I have seed of quite a few Dalea species from Alplains, and find these legumes completely fascinating (for one thing there is no end of them!). Now the days are getting longer and brighter, conditions are improving for sowing in the greenhouse, so hope to have some things to show in a while.

[Lori S.]

I only have Ebenus cappadocica in the garden so far, from seed in 2010, so I hope it will bloom this year.  I hope you will show us your Dalea, Tim!

Here are some updates on Ebenus pisidica, Microula tibetica, Geranium magniflorum, Inula aff. kitamurana:
       

[Lori S.]

I had to look up Lomelosia graminifolia, Todd - nice plant!
http://www.florealpes.com/fiche_lomelosiagraminifoli.php
http://luirig.altervista.org/photos-search/index.php?title=Lomelosia+graminifolia
 
The Plant List doesn't like that name much though, and only considers Lomelosia divaricata to be a valid representative of the genus (which is in the familiy Caprifoliacaea):
http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/search?q=lomelosia
http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2339549

I thought perhaps it was Scabiosa graminifolia but the foliage character may be somewhat different with the presence of some stem leaves... ?  
http://www.plantsystematics.org/imgs/dws/r/Dipsacaceae_Scabiosa_graminifolia_7102.html
BTW, The Plant List doesn't like the name Scabiosa graminifolia much either!
http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl/record/kew-2593392

I wonder how or if the name will be resolved.

[Lori S.]

More germination results...
Ipomea leptophylla seedlings have already been moved into separate pots, and the seed leaves are starting to die off:


Update on Saussurea nupuripoensis; Arenaria pseudoacantholimon is looking like stiff little half-size Acantholimon seedlings;
 

Anaphalis cf. monocephala - seeds from Holubec (China, Serkym La, Tibet 4400m, granite scree, prostrate plant, grey tomentose triangular leaves, 3-5 capitules on 12 cm long stems, 2010 seed); germinated in 12 days at room temp.


Dryas integrifolia (wild-collected locally) germinated in 5 days at room temp (and the same for Dryas drummondii):


Sideritis clandestina - seeds from Pavelka (1600 m, Taygetos Mts. Greece;tufted strongly white lanate plant,yellow flws in whorls, 20-40cm, stoney slopes, 2009 seed); germinated in 7 days at room temp.

http://www.greekmountainflora.info/Parnon/slides/Sideritis%20clandestina.html

Agastache pringlei - seeds from Alplains, collected in Mexico; germinated in 6 days at room temp:

[Hoy]

You have some very special and exciting seedlings going, Lori!
I haven't yet turned up the heat where I have the pots as I have been away for a week and are at home just for a day!
Only the low temperature germinating species have sprouted so far.

[Lori S.]

Thanks, Trond.  I figure the only way I'll get to see some of these things is by trying to grow them!

I've had to resow Thymus aff. haussknechtii after a set-back.  The seedlings died off after I removed the pot from the covered tray.  I think the roots had not yet extended down through the fine crushed granite top dressing that I'm using this year, and so did not find enough moisture.  I tipped out the crushed rock and sowed the remainder of the seed in the pot, where the roots will be able to penetrate down into a finer-grained (but still very permeable) mix.

[Lori S.]

Update -  true leaves on Cancrinia tianshanica:


Onobrychis argyrea - I grew this 2 years ago and was quite surprised that it didn't winter over, so I'm trying it again; the seeds germinated in 6 days after scarification. It did bloom in the first year from seed, which was nice, though the flowers were not so intricately-patterned as on some Onobrychis.

 
Here is sainfoin, Onobrychis viciifolia, an escape from cultivation, that has beautiful flowers:


Silene bolanthoides - germinated in 8 days at room temp; seeds from Pavelka (1700m, Kaz Dag, Turkey; dwarf dense cushions, short linear leaves, flowrs solitary or 2-4, stemless or very short scape, white to pale pink, petals deeply bilobed, 1.5cm across; rare, one of the best of Silene kinds; stoney places, 2008 seeds); a delightful plant - I'm growing more for backup, and possibly to disperse at the CRAGS plant sale.
 

This is supposed to be Leyospora pamirica - a Brassicaceae, from Holubec (China, Kunlun, 4200m, cold alpine scree, small caespitose pl, 3-5cm high, fleshy dark green lanceolate lvs, solitary large rose flws, 15mm wide, thin peduncles, 2011), but I suspect it was either an errant seed or was mislabelled, comparing to the photo. Should be interesting, nonetheless!  It germinated in 4 days at room temp.
   
http://holubec.wbs.cz/1Kunlun-Shan-Xinjiang.html

Marrubium lutescens - seeds from Pavelka (2000m, Sultan Dag, Turkey; taller plant to 40cm, yellowish lanate lvs., white flws, stoney slopes, 2010 seed); germinated in 7 days at room temp.


Mathiola anchifolium - seeds from Pavelka (600m, Hezanli Dag, Turkey; low strongly white tomentose, linear leaves, 10-20cm, brown flws aging yellowish, 2006 seed); germinated in 7 days at room temp.

[RickR]

That Cancrinia tianshanica is very interesting, Lori...
Did you notice it has three different leaf types?

               

[Hoy]

Rick, the third type is a transition stage - not uncommon - between the mature ones and the cotyledons.

[RickR]

Rick, the third type is a transition stage - not uncommon - between the mature ones and the cotyledons.

Well, that's the first time I have seen a transitional stage that is not somewhere midway between the initial and final stage.  Oh wait, I am forgetting that the first leaf is actually a cotyledon, so it doesn't count.  Still, I don't think I have ever noticed the first true leaves to be so drastically different from the rest.
Okay, I'm an idiot, and I see now... I had thought that the leaf my big arrow was pointing to was a stem of ten leaves! 

Nevermind