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Stachyurus chinensis

Chinese Spiketail

Family StachyuraceaeGenus Stachyurus

Long chains of pale green bell flowers hanging from a dark purple branch, above yellow-edged toothed leaves.
FlowerDidier DescouensCC BY-SA 4.0

About the plant

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

Habit
shrub or treePlants of the World Online
Flower
YellowFlora of China
Native range
China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Taiwan, VietnamGBIF 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

  • Chinese stachyurus hangs stiff strings of greenish-yellow, bell-shaped flowers from its branches in winter and spring, about two weeks later than its relative Stachyurus praecox. Wikipedia: Stachyurus chinensis

This source reports two treatments. Both are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1998

Difficulty High Rated by us, not by the source.

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

  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 Light: light

    32 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1, in 77 days.

41% germination in 35–77 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Stachyurus p. 63Public domain
Show the original text
Stachyurus (Stachyuraceae). S. chinensis data is now more complete. Seeds germ. 70L(41% in 5-11 w)-40-70L(32% in 2-7 w), 70 GA-3(36% in 4-7 w), and 70D-40-70D(none). This last sample was kept for 2 y in alternating 3 m dark cycles. In the next two cycles in 70D 20% germ., but the light effect was still strong since when this sample was then shifted to 70L, 20% more germ. in 3rd w.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Stachyurus p. 63. 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 February 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Gibberellic acid soak

  2. Sow and cover

    Temperature: 70°F 21°C

No stated waiting before sowing. Then 49 days to germinate.

36% germination in 28–49 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1998 · 2nd Supplement, Stachyurus p. 63Public domain
Show the original text
Stachyurus (Stachyuraceae). S. chinensis data is now more complete. Seeds germ. 70L(41% in 5-11 w)-40-70L(32% in 2-7 w), 70 GA-3(36% in 4-7 w), and 70D-40-70D(none). This last sample was kept for 2 y in alternating 3 m dark cycles. In the next two cycles in 70D 20% germ., but the light effect was still strong since when this sample was then shifted to 70L, 20% more germ. in 3rd w.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd Supplement, 2nd Supplement, Stachyurus p. 63. 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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