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Ibicella lutea

Yellow Devil's Claw · Yellow Martynia · Yellow Unicorn-plant

Family MartyniaceaeGenus Ibicella

A dried black seed pod split into two long curved bristly horns, beside a pocket knife for scale
FruitMello T R BCC BY 3.0

About the plant

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

Habit
annualPlants of the World Online
Habit
Annual, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Native range
Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Paraguay, UruguayGBIF 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; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Yellow unicorn-plant is covered in glandular hairs and sticky resin, and insects often get stuck and die on it. But it has no digestive enzymes and takes no nutrients from them, so it counts as protocarnivorous rather than carnivorous. Wikipedia: Ibicella lutea

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High 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 Light: light

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

25% germination in 28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ibicella p. 49Public domain
Show the original text
Ibicella (Martyniaceae). I. lutea has a tough black seed coat, and the seeds were studied with the coat on and off (peeled). Peeled seeds germ. 70D(1/5 in 2nd w), 70L(1/4 in 4th w), and 70 GA-3(all rotted). Seeds DS 1 y and peeled germ. 70L(1/4 in 4th w) and 70D(1/8 in 6th w). Unpeeled seeds did not germinate.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ibicella p. 49. 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 March 9, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on March 8, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

about 12 months from start to sowing. Then 28 days to germinate.

25% germination in 28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ibicella p. 49Public domain
Show the original text
Ibicella (Martyniaceae). I. lutea has a tough black seed coat, and the seeds were studied with the coat on and off (peeled). Peeled seeds germ. 70D(1/5 in 2nd w), 70L(1/4 in 4th w), and 70 GA-3(all rotted). Seeds DS 1 y and peeled germ. 70L(1/4 in 4th w) and 70D(1/8 in 6th w). Unpeeled seeds did not germinate.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ibicella p. 49. 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 High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 22, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 14 days to germinate.

20% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ibicella p. 49Public domain
Show the original text
Ibicella (Martyniaceae). I. lutea has a tough black seed coat, and the seeds were studied with the coat on and off (peeled). Peeled seeds germ. 70D(1/5 in 2nd w), 70L(1/4 in 4th w), and 70 GA-3(all rotted). Seeds DS 1 y and peeled germ. 70L(1/4 in 4th w) and 70D(1/8 in 6th w). Unpeeled seeds did not germinate.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ibicella p. 49. 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 4

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 23, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on February 22, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 365 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

about 12 months from start to sowing. Then 42 days to germinate.

12% germination in 42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ibicella p. 49Public domain
Show the original text
Ibicella (Martyniaceae). I. lutea has a tough black seed coat, and the seeds were studied with the coat on and off (peeled). Peeled seeds germ. 70D(1/5 in 2nd w), 70L(1/4 in 4th w), and 70 GA-3(all rotted). Seeds DS 1 y and peeled germ. 70L(1/4 in 4th w) and 70D(1/8 in 6th w). Unpeeled seeds did not germinate.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ibicella p. 49. 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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