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Paeonia daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii

Golden Peony · Molly the Witch

Family PaeoniaceaeGenus Paeonia

Also published as Paeonia mlokosewitschii. You are in the right place.

A pale yellow bowl-shaped flower with a boss of golden stamens and pink styles, among broad blue-green leaves against stone.
FlowerMel EtitisCC BY 2.5

About the plant

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

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
Lemon-yellowWikipedia

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.

Worth knowing

  • The golden peony of the Caucasus is nicknamed Molly the witch, a joking mispronunciation of a name most people find hard to say. It was treated as its own species, Paeonia mlokosewitschii, until the Chinese botanist Hong Deyuan made it a subspecies of Paeonia daurica in 2002. Wikipedia: Paeonia daurica subsp. mlokosewitschii

Protocol

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 60 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

    The radicle and its branching root system form here. This is what Deno counts as germination.

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

    The single true leaf forms only now. Germination is hypogeal.

about 5 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3.

Deno lists it as germinating at 70 like P. officinalis, and gives no figures for it.

This source doesn't state how long step 3 lasts.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, PaeoneaPublic domain
Show the original text
Paeonea (Ranunculacèae). Nicking the seeds of P. officinalis and P. suffruticosa was reported to give some promotion to germination in the first edition, but this has not been confirmed in later and more extensive experiments. P:anomala, emodi, lutea, mlkosewetschii, obovata, and vernalis germ. at 70. similar to P.officinalis. Germination consists of forming a radicle and a branching root system. This requires about 2 m after which the seedlings are given 3 m at 40. On shifting back to 70 the true leaf forms (hypogeal). Germination was hypogeal in all but P. brownii,tand all germ. at 70 except P. broteri and P. brownii. These germ. at 40. Treatment with GA-3 gave a small increase in rate of germination in P. officinalis and P. suffruticosa.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Paeonea. 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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