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Psychotria nervosa

Bastard Canckerberry · Bastard Cankerberry · Seminole Balsamo

Family RubiaceaeGenus Psychotria

Glossy dark green leaves with deeply pressed parallel veins, overlapping in pairs to fill the frame.
LeafJason HollingerCC BY 2.0

About the plant

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

Habit
shrub or treePlants of the World Online
Habit
Perennial, Shrub, TreePLANTS Database
Native range
Bahamas, Belize, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba 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; GBIF Backbone Taxonomy — Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Worth knowing

  • Despite its name, wild coffee is not known to contain any caffeine. The ethnobotanist Dan Austin reported that using its seeds as a coffee substitute brought "only bad taste and terrible headaches". Wikipedia: Psychotria nervosa

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 27, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 26, 2026.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 161 days to germinate.

86% germination in 42–161 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Psychotria p. 56Public domain
Show the original text
Psychotria (Rubiaceae). P. nervosa had germ. 70D(6/7 in 6-23 w) and 40- 70D(3/6 in 5-12 w)(1st Suppl.). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D{2/7 in 8th w). Seeds DS 2 y failed to germinate in 70D after 4 m and appear dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Psychotria p. 56. 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 Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 14, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 13, 2026.

  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 84 days.

50% germination in 35–84 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Psychotria p. 56Public domain
Show the original text
Psychotria (Rubiaceae). P. nervosa had germ. 70D(6/7 in 6-23 w) and 40- 70D(3/6 in 5-12 w)(1st Suppl.). Seeds DS 1 y germ. 70D{2/7 in 8th w). Seeds DS 2 y failed to germinate in 70D after 4 m and appear dead.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Psychotria p. 56. 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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