HEMEEOCALUS 



LILY OBDEB 



HBMEEOCALLIS 815 



eventually becomes a 1 -seeded indehisoent 

 berry. 



The variety variegata has leaves 

 striped with green and white. 



Culture and Propagation. — This is 

 practically the same as for Reimeckia 

 camea above. 



HEMEROCALLIS (Day Lily).— A 

 genus of ornamental herbaceous plants 

 having a very short rhizome with nume- 

 rous more or less thick and fleshy roots, 

 and long narrow often almost grass-like 

 radical leaves. Flowers in short irregular 

 panicles or clustered heads. Perianth 

 fannel-shaped with a cylindrical short or 

 longish tube, and 6 much longer oblong 

 spoon - shaped, erect - spreading, many- 

 nerved lobes or segments. Stamens 6, 

 shorter than the segments, declinate. 

 Capsule leathery, oblong, or roundish, 

 triquetrous. 



Culture and Propagation. — The bold 

 outlines of the foliage and the trusses of 

 yellow or tawny flowers make the Day 

 Lihes excellent plants for massing in the 

 flower border, shrubbery, or rock garden. 

 They delight in partiallj' shaded spots, 

 and by the margins of lakes, streams &o. 

 they are particularly effective. They 

 succeed in almost any ordinary garden 

 soil, but prefer a deep rich loam which 

 may be well manured some weeks before 

 planting. The best time for carrying out 

 this work is in early autumn as soon as 

 the leaves have withered. The plants 

 may at this period also be divided to in- 

 crease the stock, but once placed in posi- 

 tion are as a rule best left undisturbed for 

 three or four yearSj by the end of which 

 they will have made grand masses, and 

 may be again divided, allowing a distance 

 of 12-18 in. between the plants accord- 

 ing to the vigour of the kind. 



Seeds may also be sown as soon as 

 ripe in autumn or in spring in cold frames. 

 The seedlings are pricked out and grown 

 on until large enough for planting out 

 either in late September or March and 

 April according to the date of sowing. 



Although the flowers continue to 

 appear for several weeks, the individual 

 blossoms last only a day or two in a fresh 

 expanded state; hence the popular English 

 name, ' Day Lily,' which is a free trans- 

 lation of the Greek Hemerocallis, meaning 

 ' Beauty of a Day.' 



H. aurantiaca major. — This Japanese 

 Day Lily is considered to be the finest 



of all. It is closely related to H. fulva, 

 having masses of vigorous deep green 

 leaves with a more or less glaucous 

 bloom, and large wide open flowers of a 

 rich apricot colour. 



Culture dc. as above. 



H. Dumortieri {H. ruUlans ; H. Sie- 

 holdi). — A fine species 12-18 in. high, 

 native of Japan and Eastern Siberia, hav- 

 ing long narrow tapering leaves and 1-4 

 large orange-yellow flowers, tinged with 

 brown outside, borne on tall erect scapes 

 about 2 ft. high in early summer. 



Culture dc. as above. This species 

 should not be allowed to remain more 

 than a couple of years without dividing. 

 The younger plants are more vigorous 

 than the old ones. 



H. flava. — This species has a wide 

 range of distribution from Central and 

 South Europe westwards to Siberia and 

 Japan. It grows 2-3 ft. high, having 

 strong tufts of narrow deep green leaves, 

 keeled behind, and over 2 ft. long. The 

 sweet-scented orange-yeUow flowers, with 

 flat veinless segments, are produced in 

 June and July in large clusters, and have 

 a showy and distinct appearance. It 

 increases rapidly and is an excellent 

 plant for naturalising in grassland &c. 



Culture dc. as above. 



H. fulva. — This species also extends 

 across Europe to Japan like H. flava, and 

 grows 2-4 ft. high, having long, broad, 

 keeled leaves in large tufts. The large 

 tawny-yellow flowers, about 4 in. across, 

 appear in June and July in loose clusters, 

 having almost blunt segments. 



There are several forms of this species, 

 among which may be mentioned angusti- 

 % folia (or longituha) with narrow leaves ; 

 crocea, with yellow flowers ; disticha, 

 a well - known plant, once considered a 

 distinct species, having flower stems 

 branched near the top and bearing trusses 

 of yellow flowers suffused with red within ; 

 Kwanso is a variety with large double 

 bronzy orange-coloured flowers, and there 

 is also a form of it with handsome varie- 

 gated foliage. The variety flore plena 

 is a handsome form with double orange 

 and crimson flowers borne in July. 



Culture dc. as above. H. fulva is a 

 more vigorous plant than H. flava, and 

 may be used in many ways in large 

 masses for effect. It is of a very variable 

 character, as may be gathered from the 

 varieties enumerated. 



