Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Oxyria digyna

Mountain Sorrel · Alpine Mountain-sorrel · Alpine Sorrel · Alpine Mountainsorrel

Family PolygonaceaeGenus Oxyria

Red-stemmed spikes of small papery fruits standing over rosettes of round fleshy leaves, on bare stony tundra below a hillside.
The whole plantMichael Haferkamp, aka Mikesegeln at en.wikipediaCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

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

The plant

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Height
1.0 ft30 cmPLANTS Database
Flower
GreenPLANTS Database
Blooms
Mid SummerPLANTS Database
Native range
Afghanistan, Alaska, Albania, Alberta, Aleutian Is., Altay and elsewhereGBIF Backbone Taxonomy

Growing conditions

Sun
Shade tolerance: MediumPLANTS Database
Soil
Adapted to coarse, medium textured soilsPLANTS Database
Soil pH
6.0-8.0PLANTS Database
Moisture
Moisture use: MediumPLANTS Database
Watering
Drought tolerance: LowPLANTS Database

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

  • Mountain sorrel leaves taste sour from oxalic acid and are rich in vitamin C, about 36 mg per 100 g. The Inuit used them to prevent and cure scurvy, and the plant has been important in the Sámi diet. Wikipedia: Oxyria digyna

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

  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 21 days to germinate.

66% germination in 7–21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Oxyria p. 62Public domain
Show the original text
Oxyria (Polygonaceae). O. digyna germ. 100% in 2-4 d in 70D or 70L Neither GA-3 , a prior 3 m at 40, or DS 6 m had any effect. However, after 1 y DS germination dropped and slowed to 70D(66% in 1-3 w), and after 2 y DS seeds were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Oxyria p. 62. 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

Add to My Garden

View species page