Phacelia (heterophylla)

Dave Skinner PMC Farm Manager USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Room 211A Hulbert Hall WSU Pullman, Washington 99164-6211 509-335-9689 509-335-2940 (fax) abbie@wsu.edu http://plant-materials.nrcs.usda.gov/wapmc

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Family Scientific Name:	Hydrophyllaceae
Family Common Name:	Waterleaf
Scientific Name:	Phacelia heterophylla Pursh
Common Name:	virgate or varileaf phacelia
Species Code:	PHHE2
Ecotype:	Paradise Creek drainage near Pullman, Washington.
General Distribution:	Western North America from British Columbia east to Montana and south to New Mexico. In eastern Washington it is usually found in dry, open, often rocky areas, especially where there is some disturbance. It is a facultative upland species (US Fish and Wildlife Service 1988)
Propagation Goal:	plants
Propagation Method:	seed
ProductType:	Container (plug)
Time To Grow:	3 Months
Target Specifications:	Tight root plug in container.
Propagule Collection:	Fruit is a capsule. Seed is dark brown and pointed with a pitted surface. Seed is collected when the seed begins to shatter in late July or early August. The plants are covered with short hairs which are irritating to the skin, especially when dry. Gloves should we worn when handling the plants and plant parts. Seed can be stripped from the inflorescence and stored in paper bags at room temperature until cleaned. The entire inflorescence can be clipped from plants in seed increase plantings and dried under cover on tarps. Wild plants should never be collected whole. We determined 1,233 seeds/gram or 559,172 seeds/lb.
Propagule Processing:	Small amounts are rubbed to free the seed, then cleaned with an air column separator. Larger amounts are threshed with a head thresher, then cleaned with air screen equipment. The equipment operator should wear gloves and a dust mask and perform threshing and cleaning operations outdoors. Position the equipment such that a breeze will carry the dust away from the operator. Clean seed is stored in controlled conditions at 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 40% relative humidity.
Pre-Planting Treatments:	Germination occurs at 15-20 degrees centigrade in the dark (Maguire & Overland 1959, Chirco & Turnoer 1986). Trials conducted at the PMC comparing untreated seed with cold, moist stratified seed showed no benefit from stratification. 95% germination occurred without stratification. 45 days of cold, moist stratification also resulted in 95% germination. Seed sown in containers in November andleft outdoors under cool, fluctuating spring temperatures began germinating in mid-March and ultimately reached 98% germination, but the plants were not ready to be transplanted to the field the same spring.
Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:	In January seed is sown in the greenhouse in 10 cu. in. Ray Leach Super cell conetainers filled with Sunshine #4 and covered lightly. Head space of ¬ to « inch is maintained in conetainers to allow deep watering. A thin layer of pea gravel is applied to prevent seeds from floating. Conetainers are watered deeply.
Establishment Phase:	Medium is kept moist until germination occurs. Germination usually begins in 5 days and is complete in 9-10 days.
Length of Establishment Phase:	2 weeks
Active Growth Phase:	Plants are watered deeply every other day and fertilized once per week with a complete, water soluble fertilizer containing micro-nutrients. Growth is rapid and older plants may require watering every day.
Length of Active Growth Phase:	2-3 months
Hardening Phase:	Plants are moved to the cold frame in late March or early April, depending on weather conditions. They are watered every other day if the weather is cool, and every day during hot, dry spells.
Length of Hardening Phase:	2-4 weeks
Other Comments:	No insect or disease problems have been noted.
References:	Buhler, Douglas D., and Melinda L. Hoffman. 1999. Andersen's Guide to Practical Methods of Propagating Weeds and Other Plants. Weed Science Society of America. Lawrence, Kansas. 248pp. Chirco, Ellen, and Terry Turnoer. 1986. Species without AOSA Testing Procedures. The Newsletter of the Association of Official Seed Analysts 60(2):2-66. Hitchcock, C. Leo, and Arthur Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Seattle, WA. 730 pp. Jolley, Russ. 1988. Wildflowers of the Columbia Gorge. Oregon Historical Society Press. Portland, OR. 331 pp. Lyons, C.P. 1997. Wildflowers of Washington. Lone Pine Publishing, Renton, WA. 192 pp. Maguire, James D. and Alvin Overland. 1959. Laboratory Germination of Seeds of Weedy and Native Plants. Washington State Agricultural Experiment Station Circular 349, Pullman, WA. 15 pp. Parish, Roberta, Ray Coupe, and Dennis Lloyd (eds.). 1996. Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing, Vancouver, BC, Canada. 463 pp. Piper, C.V., and R.K. Beattie. 1914. The Flora of Southeastern Washington and Adjacent Idaho. Lancaster, PA. Press of the New Era Printing Company. 296 p. St. John, Harold. 1963. Flora of Southeastern Washington and of Adjacent Idaho. 3rd edition. Outdoor Pictures. Escondido, CA. 583 pp. USDA, NRCS. 2006. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). Data compiled from various sources by Mark W. Skinner. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. US Fish and Wildlife Service. 1988. National list of vascular plant species that occur in wetlands. US Fish & Wildlife Service Biological Report 88 (24).

Citation:

Skinner, David M,. 2006. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Phacelia heterophylla Pursh plants USDA NRCS - Pullman Plant Materials Center Pullman, Washington. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/02). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.