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Sphaeralcea (parvifolia)

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: Malvaceae
Scientific Name: Sphaeralcea parvifolia
Species Code: SPPA
Ecotype: wild collected from Uinta County, Utah
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) NOT SCARIFIED
2) early-spring (4 weeks at 52°F/34°F) SCARIFIED
3) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and early-spring (4 weeks at 52°F/34°F) NOT SCARIFIED
4) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and early-spring (4 weeks at 52°F/34°F) SCARIFIED
5) mid-spring (4 weeks at 59°F/41°F) NOT SCARIFIED
6) mid-spring (4 weeks at 59°F/41°F) SCARIFIED
7) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and mid-spring (4 weeks 59°F/41°F) NOT SCARIFIED
8) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and mid-spring (4 weeks 59°F/41°F) SCARIFIED
9) late-spring (4 weeks at 68°F/50°F) NOT SCARIFIED
10) late-spring (4 weeks at 68°F/50°F) SCARIFIED
11) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and late-spring (4 weeks 68°F/50°F) NOT SCARIFIED
12) winter (12 weeks at 34°F) and late-spring (4 weeks 68°F/50°F) SCARIFIED
Establishment Phase: RESULTS: Almost all viable seeds from this Seeds of Success collection from Uintah County, Utah germinated to relatively high levels (70% or more) when scarified AND subjected to temperatures at 34°F (treatments 2, 4, 8, 12). If temperatures were not cold enough, scarification was not sufficient to support germination over 30% (treatments 6 & 10). And winter temperatures alone were not sufficient to support germination above 35% if seeds were not scarified (treatments 3, 7, and 11). Additional research is needed to identify whether these results are representative of the entire species. The figure at http://tinyurl.com/CBGSeedGerminationSPPA 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.) Sphaeralcea parvifolia Seeds Chicago Botanic Garden - Research Glencoe, Illinois. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/11/22). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.