6 



to 1.5 m. tall, bearing 3-5 long-petioled leaves which gradu- 

 ally decrease in size, passing into the bracts of the in- 

 florescence; basal leaves numerous; petioles often more than 

 twice as long as the blades, deeply concave, thin-margined, up 

 to 4.5 dm. long; blades usually 1.5-2 dm. long, up to 13 cm. wide, 

 undulate on the margins, broadly ovate, acute at the apex, 

 abruptly narrowed into the margined petiole, with 6-10 nerves 

 on each side, the nerves depressed above, very prominent beneath, 

 the upper surface dull, the lower shining: raceme up to 5 dm. 

 long: flowers numerous, nodding, on recurved pedicels less than 

 I cm. long; perianth 4.5-5.5 cm. long, funnel-form, pale lav- 

 ender, the narrowly ovate acute segments about one half as 

 long as the tube, the stamens and style recurved at the apex, 

 the former exserted. 



A native of Japan. There is a plant, much lower than this, 

 with smaller more strongly undulate leaf-blades, which are 

 marked with large masses of white in the center, and a fewer- 

 flowered raceme. I venture to consider this a variegated form 

 of the above plant, under the name Niobe undulata variegata. 

 It is perhaps the most commonly cultivated of all the day lilies, 

 and is frequently used as an edging for paths. Its flowers 

 are identical with those of the above in color, form and size, 

 and they appear at about the same time. The stem is also 

 leafy as in that plant. This is sometimes considered a form of 

 Niobe japonica, but that flowers considerably later, and has dif- 

 ferently shaped leaves with fewer nerves — characters which would 

 seem to exclude this variegated form. 



V.' 4. Niobe Sieboldiana (Lodd.). Siebold's Day-lily 



Funkia Sieboldiana Hook. Funkia Sieboldii Lindl. Funkia 



sinensis Sieb. 



A showy pereninal forming large masses, with large cordate 

 glaucous leaves, and racemes of pale lilac flowers which protrude 

 little if any above the leaves. Leaves numerous : petioles 2-3 dm. 

 long; blades 2-3 dm. long and 15-20 cm. wide, broadly ovate, cor- 

 date at the base, acute at the apex, glaucous on both surfaces, with 

 12 or 13 curved nerves on each side of the midrib : scape, including 

 the raceme, 3-4 dm. tall, barely equalling or little exceeding 

 the leaves, the lower bracts 4-8 cm. long, finally spreading: 

 inflorescence racemose; flowers 10-15, on pedicels 10-12 mm. long, 



