66 



erally cultivated in Europe and America is distinct and very dif- 

 ferent from all other types or species of daylilies now known. In 

 the region about New York it flowers early in spring at the same 

 time that Hemerocallis Dumortierii and H . Middendorffii do. Its 

 flowers are medium-large, fairly full, clear lemon-yellow in color, 

 agreeably odorous, widely open by day and they regularly remain 

 open for at least 24 hours. The capsules (see Figure 2) are 

 nearly triangular in cross-section, elliptic in shape, and much larger 

 than those of any other of the older types of daylilies ; and they 

 conform to the capsules shown in the woodcut published in Lobel's 

 Historia in 1576. The scapes are branched and about three feet 

 tall. The stems of the crown spread rather widely underground 

 to form rhizomes. The roots are noticeably enlarged and fleshy. 



As a rule the yellow-flowered daylilies obtained from the Orient 

 have bloomed later than the Lemon Daylily, the capsules are de- 

 cidedly different in shape and size, and they all possess other 

 obvious differences. 



The type clone of the Lemon Daylily is highly self-fruitful and 

 the plants readily produce large capsules and numerous seeds to 

 controlled self-pollination or even to autonomous self- or close-pol- 

 linations which may be effected in the garden by large diurnal but- 

 terflies or large nocturnal moths. About forty seedlings have been 

 grown at The New York Botanical Garden from seed of controlled 

 self-pollinations of this plant. All these plants show the essential 

 botanical characters of the parent, but there are decided variations 

 in the size and the fullness of the flowers (see Figure 4) and in 

 vigor and hardiness; and, although some have had larger flowers, 

 none has surpassed the parent as a desirable garden plant. This 

 may explain why the plant has been propagated in horticulture as a 

 clonal variety rather than as a seed variety. It is readily and easily 

 propagated by division, giving plants of the same individual char- 

 acters, and this method has evidently been employed since this 

 daylily was first cultivated. It is stated that the naturalized plants 

 ot //. flava now growing in middle Europe produce seeds, and pre- 

 sumably these may be a means of extending the distribution. If so, 

 some variation in the plants may be expected. The variations 

 which the writer has observed in the selfed progeny and in the F, 

 progenies of hybridization involving the type clone of H. flava are, 

 however, nol sufficient to indicate that this plant is itself a hybrid. 



