82 



THE A^IERICAX BOTANIST 



fence and struck out for itself like the toad-flax, musk-mallow ; 

 tawny day lily, tall cinquefoil and other outcasts from the 

 garden, and may be found here and there colonizing a bit of 

 roadside for itself with a fine show of independence. 



In both flower and fruit this plant is so unique that a 

 good many flower lovers still find a place for it in their collec- 

 tions. I know of no other flowers so curiously mottled and 

 barred. The generic name, Pardanthus^ under which I have 

 chosen to list it, is especially appropriate since it signifies 

 leopord flower. Modern taxonomists, however, insist that the 

 correct name is Belamcanda — a term by which it appears to 

 be known in its home land. 



Though called a lily, it bears this title by courtesy only. 

 It is really one of the Iridaceae, as its three stamens and inferior 

 ovary indicate. The flowers, however, have more the appear- 

 ance of lilies than irises, for they spread out in the six pointed 

 stars with w^hich we are familiar in many of the Liliaceae. 

 The three outer segments of the perianth — really the cah^x — 

 are distinguished by their slightly paler shade. The ground 

 color of both calyx and corolla is a sort of tawny yellow and 

 this is overlaid with bars, dots, and splashes of dull purplish 

 red. The flowers last but a single day, opening rather late in 

 the morning and closing about sunset, the perianth rolling 

 up on the top of the ovary in a tight little twist. New flowers 

 continue to open, however, and the blooming season lasts for 

 man}^ weeks. 



Shortly after flowering, the seed pods become noticeable. 

 At first they are triangular green objects like ordinary iris 

 ovaries, but as the season progresses the outer husk splits 

 down intoi pate gray papery valves exposing the shining black 

 seeds attached to a stout axis, the whole very closely resem- 

 bling a ripe blackberr}^ The seeds are covered with a thin 

 pulp — really an aril like those of bittersweet and pomegranate 

 — and the whole structure almost entitles us to call it a berry. 



