Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Plocama calabrica

Stinking Madder

Family RubiaceaeGenus Plocama

A small dome of pale pink four-lobed flowers with protruding stamens, above whorls of narrow green leaves.
FlowerKrzysztof Ziarnek, KenraizCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

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

Habit
subshrubPlants of the World Online
Flower
Pale pinkRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Albania, Algeria, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Greece, Iraq 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; Read from the photograph on this page — Deno's Garden; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around April 5, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on April 4, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

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

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

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

  4. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  5. Warm moist stratification

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

about 12 months from start to step 5. Germination happens during step 5, in 6 days.

88% germination in 3–6 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Putoria p. 57Public domain
Show the original text
Putoria (Rubiaceae). P. calabrica germ. 70D-40-70D(2/16 on 5th d) with the rest rotting and 70L-40-70D-40-70D(7/8 in 3-6 d). Seeds DS 1 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Putoria p. 57. 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, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 3, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 2, 2026.

  1. Warm moist stratification

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

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  3. Warm moist stratification

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

about 6 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 5 days.

12% germination in 5 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Putoria p. 57Public domain
Show the original text
Putoria (Rubiaceae). P. calabrica germ. 70D-40-70D(2/16 on 5th d) with the rest rotting and 70L-40-70D-40-70D(7/8 in 3-6 d). Seeds DS 1 y were dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Putoria p. 57. 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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