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Ranunculus bulbosus

Bulbous Buttercup · St. Anthony's Turnip

Family RanunculaceaeGenus Ranunculus

A glossy yellow buttercup with five rounded petals, on a hairy stem above deeply cut leaves in rough grass.
FlowerAndreas EichlerCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

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

Habit
tuberous geophytePlants of the World Online
Flower
Bright yellowWikipedia

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; Wikipedia — Wikipedia contributors.

Worth knowing

  • Named for its corm, which sits just below the soil and survives the summer after the plant dies back. Its toxin, ranunculin, tastes so bitter that livestock avoid it fresh, but it is lost when the plant dries. Wikipedia: Ranunculus bulbosus

This source reports 5 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 18, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: light

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 77 days to germinate.

13% germination in 49–77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70Public domain
Show the original text
Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae). R. bulbosus germ. 70D(8% in 7-11 w), 70L(13% in 7-11 w), 40-70(4%), OS(10% in 7-12 w), and none in OT or 70 GA-3.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70. 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 High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 11, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Alternating temperatures

    Temperature: 40–70°F 4–21°C

Germination happens during step 1, in 84 days.

10% germination in 49–84 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70Public domain
Show the original text
Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae). R. bulbosus germ. 70D(8% in 7-11 w), 70L(13% in 7-11 w), 40-70(4%), OS(10% in 7-12 w), and none in OT or 70 GA-3.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70. 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 Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around January 18, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C Light: dark

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 77 days to germinate.

8% germination in 49–77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70Public domain
Show the original text
Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae). R. bulbosus germ. 70D(8% in 7-11 w), 70L(13% in 7-11 w), 40-70(4%), OS(10% in 7-12 w), and none in OT or 70 GA-3.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70. 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

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 15, 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

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2; time not stated, 21 days assumed.

4% germination.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70Public domain
Show the original text
Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae). R. bulbosus germ. 70D(8% in 7-11 w), 70L(13% in 7-11 w), 40-70(4%), OS(10% in 7-12 w), and none in OT or 70 GA-3.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70. 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 5

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Very high Rated by us, not by the source.

  1. Sow outdoors and leave it

    Nothing germinated outdoors.

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

This source doesn't state how long step 1 lasts.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70Public domain
Show the original text
Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae). R. bulbosus germ. 70D(8% in 7-11 w), 70L(13% in 7-11 w), 40-70(4%), OS(10% in 7-12 w), and none in OT or 70 GA-3.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Ranunculus p. 70. 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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