To my great delight, there are two sprouts on the Rheum nobile which I sowed onto moist vermiculite on December 17 th. There are only 5 seeds
so this is great! Now I have to try to keep them going ! I am thinking to use a rocky and peaty soil in the pots.

That's fantastic, Caroline! When Martin Walsh was here for our Rock Garden Society, he showed pics he had taken of mature flowering plants in the wild in the Himalayas. I asked him if the white "domes" were hard or soft, and he said "very hard". I was quite surprised. I think if you get the plants to be happy, let alone flower, you'll be doing real well.

I assume this was germination at room temperature?

Well done! I haven't decided what to start yet .. I shoot for the 2nd week in January to begin starting seeds.

Yes this was at 20 ºC or 70 º F
I have a 'frig thermometer right with the sowings.
Since it is endangered in the Himalayas,
- it would be neat if I could get it to the seed producing stage.

I had thought those outer leaves (bracts ?) would be soft,
but if they are hard that will be an interesting plant.

YAY Carolyn. You always start the most unusual plants that makes me google them (that a good thing, because I learn a lot ) This one is nothing I've ever seen before, and looks amazingly exotic.

I will be starting seeds next week, although nothing too out of the ordinary.. Leeks, lisianthus, rosemary, and probably some lavender.

I love hearing what everyone is growing from seed.

Caroline, that's a crazy looking plant. How did you decide to grow this? Linda I had to Google this too.

I was going to start seeds in the greenhouse today but accidentally got some water on my heat mat thermostat. Currently on the heater vent drying.

Off to see more about this plant.

I received the seeds as part of my order from a group who did a seed expedition into Nepal this past fall.
They had asked for suggestions of what we might like, but this was a nice surprise for me.
So many plants are becoming scarce in the Himalayas because the indigenous people use them for food and medicine. There are people trying to bring this plant to a higher population level.
I would like to see if I can keep them going so as to obtain seeds.

Caroline how did these plants do? I got some seeds from Plant World Seeds, they suggest wintersowing so that is what I had planned to do, now reading your post I might hold a few back to sow at 70 degrees in spring.
I read about them in The Explorer's Garden by Dan Hinkley, the hard bracts protect the flies that pollinate the flowers!

They did not continue to grow for me.
Perhaps they needed more light than a winter south window.
If I did these again, I would place them under lights in the basement.
Winter sowing is also a good idea as they probably would not sprout until the spring light was here.

It is important for some of us gardeners to try to preserve some of the plants from the Himalayas as many are on the brink of extinction. The recent earth quakes there are more reason for us to try,---- as I expect many plants were lost in the quakes.

Good Luck!