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Smyrnium perfoliatum

Perfoliate Alexanders

Family ApiaceaeGenus Smyrnium

Upright stems with heads of tiny yellow-green flowers sitting in cups of bright yellow-green leaves that clasp the stem, in a shady bed.
The whole plantSten PorseCC BY-SA 3.0

About the plant

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

Habit
biennialPlants of the World Online
Flower
Yellow-greenRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Albania, Algeria, Bulgaria, Corse, Cyprus, Czechia-Slovakia 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 5 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around October 21, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on October 20, 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

    2/5 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 2 run on after germination.

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 77 days.

40% germination in 77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Smyrnium p. 78Public domain
Show the original text
Smyrnium (Apiaceae). S. perfoliatum germ. 70L-40(2/5 in 11th w)-70(2/5 in 2nd d), 70D-40(2/5 im 12th w), 40-70(1/6 on 4th d) and none in 70 GA-3 or OT. It is doubtful that the light really had any effect considering that the seeds did not germinate while in light but only after the shift to 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Smyrnium p. 78. 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 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. Warm moist stratification

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

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 3 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 84 days.

40% germination in 84 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Smyrnium p. 78Public domain
Show the original text
Smyrnium (Apiaceae). S. perfoliatum germ. 70L-40(2/5 in 11th w)-70(2/5 in 2nd d), 70D-40(2/5 im 12th w), 40-70(1/6 on 4th d) and none in 70 GA-3 or OT. It is doubtful that the light really had any effect considering that the seeds did not germinate while in light but only after the shift to 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Smyrnium p. 78. 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 1, 2027 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, in 4 days.

17% germination in 4 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Smyrnium p. 78Public domain
Show the original text
Smyrnium (Apiaceae). S. perfoliatum germ. 70L-40(2/5 in 11th w)-70(2/5 in 2nd d), 70D-40(2/5 im 12th w), 40-70(1/6 on 4th d) and none in 70 GA-3 or OT. It is doubtful that the light really had any effect considering that the seeds did not germinate while in light but only after the shift to 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Smyrnium p. 78. 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

No stated waiting before sowing.

0% germination.

Nothing germinated at 70.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Smyrnium p. 78Public domain
Show the original text
Smyrnium (Apiaceae). S. perfoliatum germ. 70L-40(2/5 in 11th w)-70(2/5 in 2nd d), 70D-40(2/5 im 12th w), 40-70(1/6 on 4th d) and none in 70 GA-3 or OT. It is doubtful that the light really had any effect considering that the seeds did not germinate while in light but only after the shift to 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Smyrnium p. 78. Quoted exactly. Every value on this card comes from this record; 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, Smyrnium p. 78Public domain
Show the original text
Smyrnium (Apiaceae). S. perfoliatum germ. 70L-40(2/5 in 11th w)-70(2/5 in 2nd d), 70D-40(2/5 im 12th w), 40-70(1/6 on 4th d) and none in 70 GA-3 or OT. It is doubtful that the light really had any effect considering that the seeds did not germinate while in light but only after the shift to 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Smyrnium p. 78. 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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