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NPN Protocol Details Image

Linum (perenne)

Andrea Kramer
Conservation Scientist
Chicago Botanic Garden - Research
1000 Lake Cook Road
Glencoe, Illinois 60022
847-835-6971
akramer@chicagobotanic.org
http://www.chicagobotanic.org
Family Scientific Name: Linaceae
Scientific Name: Linum perenne
Common Name: blue flax
Species Code: LIPE2
Ecotype: Appar cultivar
Propagation Goal: Seeds
Propagation Method: Seed
ProductType: Propagules (seeds, cutings, poles, etc.)
Pre-Planting Treatments: APPROACH: This project aimed to determine optimal germination conditions for species currently used in restoration in the Colorado Plateau, as well as other priority forb species that may be beneficial to include in future restoration efforts. For this study, seeds were plated on 1.5% agar in petri dishes (4 replicates of 25 seeds per treatment) and incubated in growth chambers at Chicago Botanic Garden using six temperature treatments intended to represent different seed sowing times and locations in the Colorado Plateau (treatments are shown as day/night temperatures respectively, using a 12h/12h light/dark cycle):

TREATMENTS:
1) early-spring (4 weeks at 52°F/34°F)
2) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and early-spring (4 weeks at 52°F/34°F)
3) mid-spring (4 weeks at 59°F/41°F)
4) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and mid-spring (4 weeks 59°F/41°F)
5) late-spring (4 weeks at 68°F/50°F)
6) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and late-spring (4 weeks 68°F/50°F)
Establishment Phase: RESULTS: Almost all viable seeds from this cultivar (Appar) germinated to 100% in all six treatments. This suggests that seeding in warm conditions where the temperature does not drop below 50°F at night will not lower the percent of seeds that will germinate. The figure at http://tinyurl.com/CBGSeedGerminationLIPE shows the average percent germination and standard deviation of viable seeds for each treatment.

Citation:

Kramer, Andrea T; Foxx, Alicia. 2016. Propagation protocol for production of Propagules (seeds, cutings, poles, etc.) Linum perenne Seeds Chicago Botanic Garden - Research Glencoe, Illinois. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/21). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.