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Cochlearia officinalis

Common Scurvygrass · Scurvy-grass · Spoonwort

Family BrassicaceaeGenus Cochlearia

Clusters of small white four-petalled flowers with yellow centers, and round seed pods below, on a grassy coast
FlowerCaroline KaneCC BY 4.0
A color plate of a whole plant with its roots, round fleshy leaves and white flowers, with the pod opened to show its seeds and single seeds drawn enlarged
IllustrationBrandt, Wilhelm; Gürke, M.; Köhler, F. E.; Pabst, G.; Schellenberg, G.; Vogtherr, Max.Public domain

About the plant

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

Habit
biennial or perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
White, lilacWikipedia
Native range
Baltic States, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Føroyar 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; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 31, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 5 days to germinate.

60% germination in 3–5 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Cochlearia p. 32Public domain
Show the original text
Cochlearia (Brassicaceae). C. officinalis germ. 70L(60% largely in 3-5 d), 70D(2%), and 40(10% in 4-7 w)-70-40. Seeds DS 1 y germ. 32% in 4-8 d in either 70L or 70D indicating both some dying and disappearance of the light requirement.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Cochlearia p. 32. 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, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 15, 2027 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

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1, in 49 days.

10% germination in 28–49 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Cochlearia p. 32Public domain
Show the original text
Cochlearia (Brassicaceae). C. officinalis germ. 70L(60% largely in 3-5 d), 70D(2%), and 40(10% in 4-7 w)-70-40. Seeds DS 1 y germ. 32% in 4-8 d in either 70L or 70D indicating both some dying and disappearance of the light requirement.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Cochlearia p. 32. 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 3

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Germination time not stated; 21 days assumed.

2% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Cochlearia p. 32Public domain
Show the original text
Cochlearia (Brassicaceae). C. officinalis germ. 70L(60% largely in 3-5 d), 70D(2%), and 40(10% in 4-7 w)-70-40. Seeds DS 1 y germ. 32% in 4-8 d in either 70L or 70D indicating both some dying and disappearance of the light requirement.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Cochlearia p. 32. 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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