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Primula florindae

Himalayan Cowslip · Tibetan Cowslip

Family PrimulaceaeGenus Primula

An umbel of yellow bell flowers hanging from pale stalks dusted white, above broad crinkled leaves.
FlowerStan ShebsCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

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

Habit
perennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
YellowFlora of China
Native range
TibetGBIF 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; Flora of China — Wu Zhengyi, Peter H. Raven and Hong Deyuan (eds.); GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Frank Kingdon-Ward first collected the giant cowslip for western gardens in 1924 and named it after his wife, Florinda. In south-eastern Tibet it grows in huge numbers beside rivers such as the Tsangpo. Wikipedia: Primula florindae

This source reports three treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 27, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 9 days to germinate.

95% germination in 4–9 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Primula p. 197Public domain
Show the original text
Primula. (Primulaceae). The discovery of a photorequirement in P. florindae (Fl) germ. 70L(95% in 4-9 d), 70D(73% in 4-11 d), and 40(18% in 3- 8 w)-70(82% in 4-6 d).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Primula p. 197. 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, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 30, 2026 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    18 germinated in this phase.

  2. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 6 days.

82% germination in 4–6 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Primula p. 197Public domain
Show the original text
Primula. (Primulaceae). The discovery of a photorequirement in P. florindae (Fl) germ. 70L(95% in 4-9 d), 70D(73% in 4-11 d), and 40(18% in 3- 8 w)-70(82% in 4-6 d).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Primula p. 197. 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, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 25, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 11 days to germinate.

73% germination in 4–11 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Primula p. 197Public domain
Show the original text
Primula. (Primulaceae). The discovery of a photorequirement in P. florindae (Fl) germ. 70L(95% in 4-9 d), 70D(73% in 4-11 d), and 40(18% in 3- 8 w)-70(82% in 4-6 d).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Primula p. 197. 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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