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Costus guanaiensis

Cana de India

Family CostaceaeGenus Costus

A red cone of overlapping bracts with small yellow-green flowers, at the center of a spiral rosette of long leaves
FlowerAnthony BatistaCC BY 4.0

About the plant

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

Habit
rhizomatous geophytePlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herb, Shrub, SubshrubPLANTS Database
Flower
Red, orangeRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador 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; PLANTS Database — USDA NRCS; Read from the photograph on this page — Deno's Garden; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

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

Start around March 1, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1, in 35 days.

4% germination in 35 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Costus p. 33Public domain
Show the original text
Costus (Zingiberaceae). C. guanaiensis germ. 70L(1/26 in 5th w)-40, 70D(1/27 in 10th w)-40, and none in 70 GA-3. The ungerm. seed coats appeared to be all empties so that the germination could approach 100% if these are discounted.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Costus p. 33. 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 Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 25, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1, in 70 days.

4% germination in 70 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Costus p. 33Public domain
Show the original text
Costus (Zingiberaceae). C. guanaiensis germ. 70L(1/26 in 5th w)-40, 70D(1/27 in 10th w)-40, and none in 70 GA-3. The ungerm. seed coats appeared to be all empties so that the germination could approach 100% if these are discounted.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Costus p. 33. 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

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Costus p. 33Public domain
Show the original text
Costus (Zingiberaceae). C. guanaiensis germ. 70L(1/26 in 5th w)-40, 70D(1/27 in 10th w)-40, and none in 70 GA-3. The ungerm. seed coats appeared to be all empties so that the germination could approach 100% if these are discounted.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Costus p. 33. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; 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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