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Arisaema tortuosum

Arisaema

Family AraceaeGenus Arisaema

A pale green hood with a dark spadix arching out of it and rising into a long straight whip, above one broad leaf
FlowerAniruddha.RasteCC BY 3.0

About the plant

What it is and where it grows — not part of any germination protocol.

Habit
tuberous geophytePlants of the World Online
Flower
Light green, green, dark purpleFlora of China
Native range
Assam, China South-Central, East Himalaya, India, Myanmar, Nepal and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Toxicity is noted only where a source states it. No note here is not a finding of safety.

Sources: Plants of the World Online — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Flora of China — Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven and Hong Deyuan (eds.); GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • The whipcord cobra lily has a distinctive purple or green whip-like spadix, up to 30 cm long, which rises from the mouth of its hooded flower. It grows in large clumps up to 2 m tall. Wikipedia: Arisaema tortuosum

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 28 days to germinate.

100% germination in 14–28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Arisaema p. 100Public domain
Show the original text
Arisaema (Araceae). The Asiatic species were received as dried berries in midwinter and germ. readily at 70 after WC for 7 d. The American species exhibited complex behavior. Germination is hypogeal in all species. The seed forms a corm and root system before sending up the single true leaf. This first true leaf is a single leaflet in A. tortuosum germ. 70(100% in 2-4w) and 40-70(100% in 1-3 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Arisaema p. 100. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

Protocol 2

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 15, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 21 days.

100% germination in 7–21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Arisaema p. 100Public domain
Show the original text
Arisaema (Araceae). The Asiatic species were received as dried berries in midwinter and germ. readily at 70 after WC for 7 d. The American species exhibited complex behavior. Germination is hypogeal in all species. The seed forms a corm and root system before sending up the single true leaf. This first true leaf is a single leaflet in A. tortuosum germ. 70(100% in 2-4w) and 40-70(100% in 1-3 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Arisaema p. 100. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record, except the difficulty rating, which is ours; the step names come from a fixed list.

How each step is done, in Deno’s words, and what Verified and Derived mean.

Germination trials

Readers’ own records of sowing this species, published after review. Share your trial · All trials

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