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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

Eriogonum (umbellatum)

Susan Meyer
Research Ecologist
USDA FS - Rocky Mountain Research Station, Shrub Sciences Laboratory
735 North 500 east
Provo, Utah 84606
smeyer@sisna.com
www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise

Family Scientific Name: Polygonaceae
Family Common Name: Buckwheat family
Scientific Name: Eriogonum umbellatum
Common Name: Sulphur buckwheat
Species Code: ERIUMB
Ecotype: Utah 2150 to 3480m
General Distribution: E. umbellatum is found throughout the western United States; from low elevation plains and deserts to the subalpine zone.
Propagation Goal: plants
Propagation Method: seed
Time To Grow:
Propagule Collection: E. alatum flowers in early to late summer and seeds ripen in late August to early September, depending on elevation.
Propagule Processing: Seeds are cleaned by hand rubbing material through a 2 mm round hole screen. Caff is removed from seed by using a tabletop model blower.
Achenes are stored at 20 to 22C with 30 to 40% relative humidity in paper envelopes until mid October.
Achene mass averages 1.4 to 2.6 mg per 100 achenes.
Pre-Planting Treatments: 6 prechilling treatments were used: 0,2,4,8,12,16 and 24 weeks of moist chilling at 2C in the dark.
Growing Area Preparation/
Annual Practices for Perennial Crops:
Following chilling treatments, seeds were incubated 4 weeks under a daily temperature and photoperiod regime (12hr dark at 10C and 12hr light at 20C)with a cool flourescent light.
Achenes were placed in disposable petri plates on 2 blue germination blotter papers moistened with tap water. Blotter papers were re-moistened as needed.
Establishment Phase: Results and Discussion: 5 collections of E. umbellatum represented 3 subspecies; they showed considerable variation in chilling requirement.
The Red Canon collection was the least dormant, requiring only an 8 wk prechill to become completely germinable.
the collection from alpine tundra in the Uinta mountains ( E. umbellatum ssp.portei) was the most dormant, requiring 24 weeks of chilling to lose dormancy completely and only germinated to slightly more than 50% during 24 weeks in the cold.
References: Chilling Requirements for seed germination of 10 Utah species of perennial wild buckwheat. Meyer SE and Paulsen A. Native Plants Journal, Spring 2000, 1(1):18-24.

Citation:

2001. Propagation protocol for production of Eriogonum umbellatum plants USDA FS - Rocky Mountain Research Station, Shrub Sciences Laboratory Provo, Utah. In: Native Plant Network. URL: https://NativePlantNetwork.org (accessed 2024/07/03). US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Center for Reforestation, Nurseries, and Genetic Resources.