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Petalonyx nitidus

Shining Sandpaper-plant · Shiny-leaf Sandpaper Plant · Shiny Sandpaper Plant · Shinyleaf Sandpaper Plant

Family LoasaceaeGenus Petalonyx

A rounded gray-twigged desert shrub covered in small cream flowers, on a stony slope with bare mountains behind.
The whole plantSteve MatsonCC BY 4.0

About the plant

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

Habit
subshrub or shrubPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Shrub, SubshrubPLANTS Database
Flower
WhiteWikipedia
Native range
Arizona, California, Nevada, UtahGBIF 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; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Shinyleaf sandpaper plant is a clumpy subshrub of the deserts and desert mountains of the southwestern United States, made up of many rough-haired stems. Wikipedia: Petalonyx nitidus

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

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

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

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

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 2 days.

57% germination in 2 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Petalonyx p. 65Public domain
Show the original text
Petalonyx (Loasaceae). P. nitidus germ. 40-70D(4/7 on 2nd d), 70D{1/5 in 4th w), and none in 70L or 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Petalonyx p. 65. 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

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Petalonyx p. 65Public domain
Show the original text
Petalonyx (Loasaceae). P. nitidus germ. 40-70D(4/7 on 2nd d), 70D{1/5 in 4th w), and none in 70L or 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Petalonyx p. 65. 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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