Cryptantha (celosioides)

Tara Luna USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana 59936 (406) 888-7835 http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/azpmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Boraginaceae
Family Common Name:	Borage Family
Scientific Name:	Cryptantha celosioides (Eastw. ) Pays.
Common Synonym:	Cryptantha nubigena celosioides
Common Name:	Miner's candle
Species Code:	CRYCEL
Ecotype:	Open scree slope, Scenic Point, Two Medicene, Glacier National Park, Glacier Co., MT. 2000m elevation.
General Distribution:	C. celosioides is a biennial to short lived perennial that occurs in dry areas of southern B.C. to central Oregon and east to Montana and the Great Plains.
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Stock Type:	172 ml conetainers
Time To Grow:	9 Months
Target Specifications:	Height: 10 to 12 true leaves, 4 cm<br> Caliper: n/a<br> Root System: firm plug in conetainer.
Propagule Collection:	Seeds are collected in late August. Hand collect mature seed capsules when they begin to split and turn tan in color. Seed is black at maturity. Seeds are kept in a well ventilated drying shed prior to cleaning.
Propagule Processing:	Seeds are hand cleaned by rubbing and screening. Seed longevity is unknown. Seed dormancy is classified as physiological dormancy. Seeds/Kg: unknown % Purity: 100% % Germination:50%
Pre-Planting Treatments:	5 month outdoor cold, moist stratification.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	Outdoor nursery growing facility. Sowing Method: Direct Seeding. Seed is lightly covered with medium. Growing medium used is 6:1:1 milled spaghnum peat,perlite, and vermiculite with Osmocote controlled release fertilizer (13N:13P2O5:13K2O; 8 to 9 month release rate at 21C) and Micromax fertilizer (12%S, 0.1%B, 0.5%Cu, 12%Fe, 2.5%Mn, 0.05%Mo,1 %Zn) at the rate of 1 gram of Osmocote and 0.20 gram of Micromax per 172 ml conetainer. Conetainers are filled and sown in late fall and irrigated thoroughly prior to winter stratification.
Establishment Phase:	Medium is kept slightly moist during germination. Germination appeared uniform under fluctuating temperatures in late May. Taproot development is rapid. It is important to protect seedlings from excessive moisture during the establishment phase. Seedlings must dry down between irrigations.
Length of Establishment Phase:	4 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Root development occurs rapidly following germination. Seedlings form 4 to 7 true leaves in a tight rosette 7 weeks after germination. Plants were fertilized with 13-13-13-liquid NPK at 100ppm fertilizer during the growing season.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	8 weeks
Hardening Phase:	Irrigation is gradually reduced in September and October. Plants are flushed with clear water and fertilized with 10-20-20 liquid NPK at 200 ppm before outplanting and winterization.
Length of Hardening Phase:	4 weeks
Harvesting, Storage and Shipping:	Total Time To Harvest:9 months Harvest Date: September Storage Conditions: Overwinter in outdoor nursery under insulating foam cover and snow.
Length of Storage:	5 months
References:	Flora of the Pacific Northwest, Hitchcock and Cronquist, 7th edition, University of Washington Press, 1973. Seeding Rate Statistics for Native and Introduced Species, Hassell, Wendel, U.S.D.I. and U.S.D.A., April 1996. Seeds: Ecology, Biogeography, and Evolution of Dormancy and Germination, Baskin and Baskin, Academic Press, 1998. Seed Germination Theory and Practice, Deno, Norman, Penn State University, 1993. Glacier National Park Native Plant Nursery Propagation Records, unpublished.

Citation:

Luna, Tara. 2008. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Cryptantha celosioides (Eastw. ) Pays. plants 172 ml conetainers; USDI NPS - Glacier National Park West Glacier, Montana. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/04/19). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.