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Discaria toumatou

Matagouri · Wild Irishman

Family RhamnaceaeGenus Discaria

A low gnarled shrub of dark interlacing thorny twigs hung with pale lichen, among tussock grass
The whole plantMichal KlajbanCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

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

Habit
shrubPlants of the World Online
Flower
WhiteWikipedia
Native range
Chatham Is., New Zealand North, New Zealand SouthGBIF 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

  • Matagouri is a corruption of its Māori name, tūmatakuru. In 1863 Samuel Butler recalled a very uncomfortable prickly shrub they called Irishman; another name is wild Irishman. Wikipedia: Discaria toumatou

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around April 7, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on April 6, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

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

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

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

    1/3 germinated in this phase.

  4. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  5. Warm moist stratification

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

about 12 months from start to step 5. Germination happens during step 5, in 4 days.

67% germination in 4 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Discaria p. 31Public domain
Show the original text
Discaria (Rhamnaceae). D. toumatou germ. 70D-40-70D(1/3 in 2nd w)-40- 70D(2/3 on 4th d) and 70L(0/2).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Discaria p. 31. 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, 1998

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

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Discaria p. 31Public domain
Show the original text
Discaria (Rhamnaceae). D. toumatou germ. 70D-40-70D(1/3 in 2nd w)-40- 70D(2/3 on 4th d) and 70L(0/2).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Discaria p. 31. 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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