Family:   Ranunculaceae

Habit:  Perennial with deep, thickened roots and erect, woody stems; simple or branched above, 1 to 2 m. tall, with scarlet flowers.

Distribution:  Found in dry openings in coastal sage scrub, chaparral and foothill woods; from Monterey County to San Diego County and Baja California.

Seed unit:  Free seed.

Seed:   Quadrangular with sharp angles, 2 to 3 mm. long, dark, bumpy.

Embryo:  Small basal embryo in fleshy endosperm.

Purity instructions:   Pure seed definition:
AOSA:  PSU #1 – Seed, with or without seed coat.  Piece of broken seed, with or without seed coat, larger than one-half the original size.
ISTA:  PSD #10 – Seed, with or without testa.  Piece of seed larger than one-half the original size, with or without testa.

Lab Notes:  Germination test can show thermal dormancy at warm temperatures.

Average pure seed units per gram:  806 seeds per gram (based on AOSA pure seed units only from 6 samples received for testing from 1993 to 2004).

Range of percent pure seed:   14 to 81%

Range of percent inert:  18 to 85%

Description of inert:   Plant material, stone, broken seed, dead and live insects.

Planting instructions:  400 seeds, T, 28 days @ 15°C; for fresh and dormant seed, prechill recommended.

References: (link to main reference page)
Hickman, J.C., Ed.  1993.  p. 918.
Munz, P.A. and D.D. Keck.  1968.  p. 90.
Ransom Seed Laboratory
Rules for Testing Seeds, AOSA