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The Forest Service National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources (RNGR) is a leading source of technical information for nurseries and land managers regarding production and planting of trees and other native plants for reforestation, restoration, and conservation.

 
NPN Protocol Details Image

Carex (radiata)

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: Cyperaceae
Family Common Name: Sedge Family
Scientific Name: Carex radiata (Wahlenb.) Small
Ecotype: Chicago Region (Illinois)
General Distribution: Central and Eastern United States
Propagation Goal: Seeds
Propagation Method: Seed
Time To Grow: 8 months
Target Specifications: Determine germination requirements using move-along experimental method as outlined by Baskin and Baskin (2003) and determine seed longevity in a seed bank using 15 year old collections and 3 year old collections. Baskin, C. C., and J. M. Baskin. 2003. When Breaking Seed Dormancy Is a Problem: Try a Move-along Experiment. Native Plants Journal 4:17-21.
Propagule Collection: Seed was wild-collected in 1) 2004 and stored at ambient conditions before being sealed in a foil envelope and frozen at -4 degrees Fahrenheit and 2) 2013 and dried to 15% relative humidity before being sealed in a foil envelope and frozen at -4 degrees Fahrenheit. All collections are held in the Dixon Tallgrass National Prairie Seed Bank at Chicago Botanic Garden, searchable at https://www.sciencecollections.org/content/search-collections.
Length of Storage: 15 and 3 years
Outplanting performance on typical sites: Germination was highest (up to 65%) when conditions were above 77 degrees Fahrenheit - germination occurred primarily between 4 and 16 weeks in this temperature. Similar germination was found when the seeds were exposed to 16 weeks of cold stratification (41 Fahrenheit) and then placed in to incubation at 59-68 Fahrenheit - germination also occurred primarily between 4-16 weeks after being placed in incubation. Germination was higher in the warmer incubation temperature. Note that this was only true for the accession that was 3 years old and which had been dried and stored following standard protocols. Germination was extremely low (maximum of 6% germination under any treatment condition) for the 15 year-old accession that had not been processed and stored under optimal conditions.

Citation:

Soares, Vanessa Couto; Kramer, Andrea T. 2017. Propagation protocol for production of Carex radiata (Wahlenb.) Small Seeds Chicago Botanic Garden - Research Glencoe, Illinois. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2025/04/24). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.