2IO 



of wild species were obtained, the possibilities have been expanded ; 

 and each clone, finally selected and christened, represents years 

 of experiment. 



Some report may be of interest concerning the newest develop- 

 ments in the breeding of daylilies and for this a few projects may 

 be reported which illustrate what is being obtained and how the 

 results are accomplished. 



There is a dwarf species scarcely a foot tall called Hemerocallis 

 nana which grows wild in southwestern China. It would seem 

 that this plant would be a valuable subject for rock gardens but 

 it has not thrived under culture. This species was hybridized 

 with a dwarf clone of the fully hardy Hemerocallis Dumortierii 

 and hardy dwarf hybrids have been obtained that promise to be 

 excellent plants for gardens. Further selective breeding is in 

 progress which aims to diversify this dwarf group in respect to 

 color, size, and form of flowers, to increase the number of flowers 

 and to extend the season of blooming. 



To cite another case, certain plants obtained a few years ago 

 from the wild in China proved to be a distinctly new type of 

 daylily. The flowers are small, the flower stems much branched, 

 and the season of flowering is in autumn. This species was 

 named Hemerocallis mult i flora. Plants of this late-flowering day- 

 lily were hybridized with nearly all of the other species and several 

 thousand seedlings were obtained which give a wide range in 

 form, size, and color of flowers. In the vicinity of New York 

 this species and its hybrids extend the season of flowering for 

 daylilies throughout August, September, and October. 



A few plants obtained from north central China are to be classed 

 in the species Hemerocallis fulva. But they differ from the 

 known types of this species in having flowers of bright rosy pink 

 colors. These plants were used in selective breeding and in hybridi- 

 zations and seedlings were obtained which have sprightly and even 

 brilliant flower colors including shades of attractive rosy pink. 



To illustrate the results possible in selective breeding from the 

 old types of daylilies, mention may be made of the origin ot 

 the Theron Daylily which has flowers of a dark mahogany-red 

 color that approaches purplish black. This plant lias in its ancestry 

 the old familiar fulvous Europa Daylily, the pale fulvous Hemero- 

 callis aurantiaca, and certain yellow-flowered types. The first 



