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Pinguicula vulgaris

Common Butterwort · Butterwort

Family LentibulariaceaeGenus Pinguicula

A violet two-lipped flower seen face on, its lower lip fringed with dense white hairs, below a hairy brown-purple hood.
FlowerIvar LeidusCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

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

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Forb/herbPLANTS Database
Flower
PurpleWikipedia
Native range
Alaska, Alberta, Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium and elsewhereGBIF 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

This source reports 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 26, 2026 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: light

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 10 days.

100% germination in 10 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Pinguicula p. 66Public domain
Show the original text
Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae). P. vulgaris germ. 70 GA-3(92% in 2nd w), 70L(18% in 3-12 w), 40-70L(100% on 10th d), and none in 70D or 40-70D using fresh seed. Seed DS 3 m germ. similarly, but seeds DS 1 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Pinguicula p. 66. 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 Low Rated by us, not by the source.

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

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

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

92% germination in 14 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Pinguicula p. 66Public domain
Show the original text
Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae). P. vulgaris germ. 70 GA-3(92% in 2nd w), 70L(18% in 3-12 w), 40-70L(100% on 10th d), and none in 70D or 40-70D using fresh seed. Seed DS 3 m germ. similarly, but seeds DS 1 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Pinguicula p. 66. 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 January 11, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 84 days to germinate.

18% germination in 21–84 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Pinguicula p. 66Public domain
Show the original text
Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae). P. vulgaris germ. 70 GA-3(92% in 2nd w), 70L(18% in 3-12 w), 40-70L(100% on 10th d), and none in 70D or 40-70D using fresh seed. Seed DS 3 m germ. similarly, but seeds DS 1 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Pinguicula p. 66. 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

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Pinguicula p. 66Public domain
Show the original text
Pinguicula (Lentibulariaceae). P. vulgaris germ. 70 GA-3(92% in 2nd w), 70L(18% in 3-12 w), 40-70L(100% on 10th d), and none in 70D or 40-70D using fresh seed. Seed DS 3 m germ. similarly, but seeds DS 1 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Pinguicula p. 66. 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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