Deno’s GardenMy Garden

Sparaxis villosa

Blue-cap · Bluecap Silklily

Family IridaceaeGenus Sparaxis

A flower with a violet hood arching over three cream and yellow lower petals, on a slender stem against black.
FlowerSAplantsCC 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
Violet, cream, yellowRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Cape ProvincesGBIF 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 4 treatments. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around February 23, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on February 22, 2025.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 730 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

about 2 years from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 42 days.

100% germination in 21–42 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Synnotia p. 64Public domain
Show the original text
Synnotia (Iridaceae). Their is some indication that 3 m in 70L before shifting to 40 gives better germination than either 40 direct or 70D-40. Also DS for 1 y improved germination in the one species in which it was tried. More work is needed to confirm these provisional conclusions. S. villosa DS 6 m germ. 70L-40(100% in 4-9 w) and 70D(8% in 6-9 w)-40(4%)- 70D-40-70D-40(5%). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(100% in 3-6 w) and 70D-40(90% in 4th w) indicating that no dying had occurred and that fresh seeds would probably have germ. directly at 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Synnotia p. 64. 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 May 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on May 7, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

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

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 9 months from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 63 days.

100% germination in 28–63 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Synnotia p. 64Public domain
Show the original text
Synnotia (Iridaceae). Their is some indication that 3 m in 70L before shifting to 40 gives better germination than either 40 direct or 70D-40. Also DS for 1 y improved germination in the one species in which it was tried. More work is needed to confirm these provisional conclusions. S. villosa DS 6 m germ. 70L-40(100% in 4-9 w) and 70D(8% in 6-9 w)-40(4%)- 70D-40-70D-40(5%). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(100% in 3-6 w) and 70D-40(90% in 4th w) indicating that no dying had occurred and that fresh seeds would probably have germ. directly at 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Synnotia p. 64. 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, 1998

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around December 9, 2026 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on December 8, 2024.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 730 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

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

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

about 2 years from start to step 3. Germination happens during step 3, in 28 days.

90% germination in 28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Synnotia p. 64Public domain
Show the original text
Synnotia (Iridaceae). Their is some indication that 3 m in 70L before shifting to 40 gives better germination than either 40 direct or 70D-40. Also DS for 1 y improved germination in the one species in which it was tried. More work is needed to confirm these provisional conclusions. S. villosa DS 6 m germ. 70L-40(100% in 4-9 w) and 70D(8% in 6-9 w)-40(4%)- 70D-40-70D-40(5%). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(100% in 3-6 w) and 70D-40(90% in 4th w) indicating that no dying had occurred and that fresh seeds would probably have germ. directly at 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Synnotia p. 64. 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, 1998

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

Start around August 6, 2027 for a May 3 last frost. Too late for spring 2027 — that needed starting on August 5, 2026.

  1. Dry storage

    Duration: 180 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Warm moist stratification

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

  3. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    4 germinated in this phase.

  4. Warm moist stratification

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

  5. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

  6. Warm moist stratification

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

  7. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    5 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 2 run on after germination.

about 6 months from start to step 2. Germination happens during step 2, in 63 days.

8% germination in 42–63 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Synnotia p. 64Public domain
Show the original text
Synnotia (Iridaceae). Their is some indication that 3 m in 70L before shifting to 40 gives better germination than either 40 direct or 70D-40. Also DS for 1 y improved germination in the one species in which it was tried. More work is needed to confirm these provisional conclusions. S. villosa DS 6 m germ. 70L-40(100% in 4-9 w) and 70D(8% in 6-9 w)-40(4%)- 70D-40-70D-40(5%). Seeds DS 2 y germ. 40(100% in 3-6 w) and 70D-40(90% in 4th w) indicating that no dying had occurred and that fresh seeds would probably have germ. directly at 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Synnotia p. 64. 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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