冷清草(Elatostema lineolatum)是穗花蛇菰(Balanophora laxiflora)在台灣已知寄主中最小的一種，以往並無冷清草種子發芽特性之相關研究。試驗結果顯示，冷清草種子為需光性種子，主要分布於林相下土壤粒徑為0.25-1.5mm之土層中，其種子以25℃蔭乾3天儲存在5℃下達218天之後仍有32%發芽率。試管內無菌播種生長緩慢，以紙橋取代洋菜可獲得較佳的生長勢。

Parasitical plant Balanophora laxiflora is an expensive and rare herbal medicinal plant in Taiwan and the smallest host of this plant is Elatostema lineolatum (EL). Seed germination study indicated that EL germination is light-dependent, with a light intensity of 5 μmol photon/m^2.s. Its seeds are mainly distributed in soil profile with a particle size between 0.25 and 1.5 mm in diameter. More than 32% germination rate of matured seeds was observed after air-drying indoors at 25 C for 3 days followed by storing at 5 C for 218 days. Although seedling growth in vitro was slow and roots failed to penetrate into agar medium, its growth in tissue culture system was improved by using paper bridge instead of agar.