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Zephyranthes elwesii

Family AmaryllidaceaeGenus Zephyranthes

Two bright yellow lily-like flowers held in a gloved hand above dry sandy ground
FlowerCody HinchliffCC BY 4.0

About the plant

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

Habit
bulbous geophytePlants of the World Online
Flower
YellowRead from the photograph on this page
Native range
Argentina SouthGBIF 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.

Two sources report 4 treatments between them. All are shown.

Protocol 1

DerivedN. C. Deno, 1996

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 15, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

Germination happens during step 1, in 21 days.

90% germination in 21 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Rhodophiala p. 71Public domain
Show the original text
Rhodophiala (Amaryllidaceae). Eight samples of this genus have been received since the studies reported in the 2nd Ed. Germination was at 40 or in a k combination of 40 and 40-70. It is clear that an inhibitor is destroyed at 40 followed by germination at 40, but germination at 40 is slower than at 70 after the inhibiting system has been destroyed. This is the same pattern as Nemastylis acuta. R. elwesii (2 samples) germ. 40(90% in 3rd w) and 40(35% in 2-12 w)-70(60% in 1-3 d). In this second sample germination would undoubtedly have continued at 40 if the sample had been kept beyond 3 m at 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Rhodophiala p. 71. 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 January 2, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    35 germinated in this phase.

  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 3 days.

60% germination in 1–3 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement — N. C. Deno, 1996 · 1st Supplement, Rhodophiala p. 71Public domain
Show the original text
Rhodophiala (Amaryllidaceae). Eight samples of this genus have been received since the studies reported in the 2nd Ed. Germination was at 40 or in a k combination of 40 and 40-70. It is clear that an inhibitor is destroyed at 40 followed by germination at 40, but germination at 40 is slower than at 70 after the inhibiting system has been destroyed. This is the same pattern as Nemastylis acuta. R. elwesii (2 samples) germ. 40(90% in 3rd w) and 40(35% in 2-12 w)-70(60% in 1-3 d). In this second sample germination would undoubtedly have continued at 40 if the sample had been kept beyond 3 m at 40.
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 1st Supplement, 1st Supplement, Rhodophiala p. 71. 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, 1993

Difficulty Low Rated by us, not by the source.

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

  1. Cold moist stratification

    Temperature: 40°F 4°C

Germination happens during step 1, in 84 days.

100% germination in 14–84 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Rhodophiala p. 205Public domain
Show the original text
Rhodophiala (Amaryllidaceae). Although some species germ.. at 70, the general pattern in this genus is for germination to be best at 40. R. elwesii germ. 40(100% in 2-12 w) and 70(42% in 1-4 w)-40(19% in 5-10 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Rhodophiala p. 205. 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, 1993

Difficulty Moderate Rated by us, not by the source.

Start around March 8, 2027 for a May 3 last frost.

  1. Warm moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 70°F 21°C

  2. Cold moist stratification

    Duration: 90 daysTemperature: 40°F 4°C

    19 germinated in this phase.

Steps after step 1 run on after germination.

Germination happens during step 1, in 28 days.

42% germination in 7–28 days.

Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. — N. C. Deno, 1993 · Ch. 20, Rhodophiala p. 205Public domain
Show the original text
Rhodophiala (Amaryllidaceae). Although some species germ.. at 70, the general pattern in this genus is for germination to be best at 40. R. elwesii germ. 40(100% in 2-12 w) and 70(42% in 1-4 w)-40(19% in 5-10 w).
Seed Germination Theory and Practice, 2nd ed., Ch. 20, Rhodophiala p. 205. 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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