Chlorogalum (angustifolium)
|
John W. Hunt Project Manager/Ecologist University of California - Chico California State University, Chico Chico, California 95929-0555 530-228-7594 530-898-4363 (fax) jwhunt@csuchico.edu www.idahobotanicalgarden.org |
| Family Scientific Name: | Liliaceae | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Common Name: | Lily | ||
| Scientific Name: | Chlorogalum angustifolium | ||
| Common Name: | Narrow-leaved soap-plant; Amole | ||
| Ecotype: | Seed collected from The Nature Conservancy's Dye Creek and Vina Plains Preserves in Tehama County, California | ||
| General Distribution: | California to southern Oregon. Heavy soils of grasslands or woodlands below 500 meters (Hickman 1993). | ||
| Propagation Goal: | bulbs | ||
| Propagation Method: | seed | ||
| ProductType: | Container (plug) | ||
| Stock Type: | Potted nursery stock | ||
| Time To Grow: | 0 | ||
| Target Specifications: | First year bulb, typically ranging from 3-8mm in diameter (yes, fairly small). | ||
| Propagule Collection: | Seed may be rapidly collected by stripping fruit capsules (typically 3 seeds per capsule) when capsules split open. Seed can be rapidly cleaned with a seed or soil seive and/or blowing off chaff. | ||
| Propagule Processing: | Seed may be collected from June through July. Seed can be retained on the heads well into summer, depending on the year. Approximately 170 seeds per gram, depending on individual, population, year and cleanliness of seed. | ||
| Pre-Planting Treatments: | None, though clean dry seed was placed in dry, cold storage following collection and prior to sowing. | ||
| Growing Area Preparation/ Annual Practices for Perennial Crops: |
Seed was directly sown into 1.5" deep flats containing a potting mixture of approximately 1:1:1:2 sand:pumice:peat moss:fir bark mixture. Flats were placed in an outdoor cold frame from late-fall though spring. Most seedlings were transplanted into various sized pots ranging form D-pots to 3x4" plastic containers (some seedlings were not transplanted) using the same potting mixture. The active growth phase can be somewhat extended by misting plants after the last spring rains, but care must be taken not to encourage rot. Dormancy can be induced by letting pots dry-down and then placing in dry storage until the following fall rains. Plants should be allowed to go dormant by early summer. Better growth may be obtainined during the first year by avoiding transplanting (seed directly into larger containers rather than flats). Based on results of direct seeding in the field, better above and below gound growth may be obtained by planting in native soil (e.g.loam) rather than potting soil. Loam appears to have lower fluctuations in moisture and temperature that stress seedlings and reduce growth during the first year. Growth from seed to dormant seedling follows the first fall rains through the spring-summer dry-down. | ||
| Establishment Phase: | Initial germination was observed within 2 weeks; Observed germination rates were 74% (Dye Creek) and 27% (Vina Plains) for seed cold, moist stratified in vermiculite at approximately 44F. Small bulbs (2-6mm in diameter) will be produced within 6-8 months. | ||
| Length of Establishment Phase: | Transplantable sprouts wereestablished within approximately 3-4 weeks. | ||
| Active Growth Phase: | Active growth was observed following the onset of autumn rains (seed swelling) until drying down (die-back and dormancy) occurred in late spring/early summer. The length of the active growth phase can be somewhat controlled with irrigation, but this species requires summer dormancy. | ||
| Length of Active Growth Phase: | 6-8 months (late fall - early summer) | ||
| Hardening Phase: | Hardening is not necessary as the active growth phase starts with the onset of fall rains and plants senesce around the end of spring or beginning of summer. | ||
| Harvesting, Storage and Shipping: | Individuals go dormant following spring-summer dry down and die back to the root. Dormant individuals were placed in dry storage at 60-70 degrees Farenheit. | ||
| Length of Storage: | 3-5 months | ||
| Other Comments: | Flowering: Early May - June (Oswald and Ahart 2002). Seed collection: May-June (July). Transplanted seedlings showed some sign of stress and seedlings transplanted earlier showed more vigorous growth subsequent to transplanting. Seed sown directly in the field showed above and below ground growth rates comparabel too, or better than seed grown under controlled conditions in well-drained potting soils. Heavier native soils may provide better growing conditions when kept moist compared to well-drained potting soils whose moisture and temperature may fluctuate more readily. Partial funding for this project was made available by the California State University Agricultural Research Initiative (ARI). | ||
| References: | Hickman, James, Ed. 1993. The Jepson Manual: Higher Plants of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, California.; Oswald, Vern and Lowell Ahart. 2002. Selected Plants of Northern California and Adjacent Nevada. CNPS | ||
Citation:
Leigh, Mark; Pushnik, James C.; Boul, Rachelle D.; Brown, Matthew R.; Hunt, John W.; Koenig, David A.. 2006. Propagation protocol for production of Container (plug) Chlorogalum angustifolium bulbs Potted nursery stock; University of California - Chico Chico, California. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/01). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.
