Decorative elements of the perianth

Throat

The term „throat” defines centrally located part of the perianth that comprise bottom of the flower on the inside, out of where pistil and stamens grow out, and in which the nectaries are located. This structure is emphasized for a reason. In most of the daylily variations, it outlines its presence with a different color in comparison to color of the rest of sepals, and therefore it significantly affects the look and rating of the flower as a whole. Variations of daylilies with flowers without a throat are very rare. This rare group usually includes unicolored variations with yellow or orange flowers (fig. 38). Fig.38 Daylily variations without the colored throat

Sheila Borughton

Patsy Cline

Isle of Skye

Tropical Heaven

Most variations of daylily flower include a colored throat. It is recognized as an important decorative element and it’s included in description of the flowers. The area of sepals that is colored with color of the throat can be of diverse sizes, and sometimes it is confined by an eye that is adjacent to the throat. The throat usually is of green color with different shades and various intensities of tinges (fig.39) Fig. 39 Daylily variations with green throat

Neptune's Legacy

Monday Morning

Blues Paradise Royal

Complementary Colors

Johny Cash

Dancing with Julie

Bogong Jack

Storm Over Toledo

The throat looks especially spectacular when it is displayed on the background of a dark eye or dark color of petal. In part of variations, the throat is colored with yellow hue (fig.40). This fact not only ensures the recognition of the throat in the daylily breeding as decorative element of variable coloring, but at the same time paves the way for creating a variety of color solutions, other than the two mentioned above (fig. 41) Fig.40 Daylily variations with yellow throat

Cast Your Crown

Korth Keowee

Melon Blossom Fame / Grace

Frank's Hot Tamale

Fig.41 Variable colors of throats in daylily variations

Dante's Inferno

Jane Mahan

Jim Spencer

Mexican Magic

Diversity of throat’s appearance does not only refer to the coloring of this area. In some variations, the throat “slips out” of the constraints imposed by the area designated for an eye, or color of petals that contrasts with its coloration. In such cases, the throat smoothly expands into flower’s perimeter and blurs the boundaries of its area with blurred transition into color of inner sepals (fig.42). This gives the daylily flower kind of delicate, refined elegance, and with the right combination of colors, also an enchanting beauty. Maybe that’s the reason why in such cases the nature forgoes any additional, possible decorative elements and limits them in most cases to the delicate frill. Fig.42 Daylily variations with unconventional throats

Leap of Faith

Kate Carpenter

Wonderful Sunset

California Kid

In part of the variations that have appeared in the recent years, the throat smoothly transfers into area of whitened and discolored inner sepals. It spreads on almost entire area of petals and stops at the colored margin of their outer rim (fig.43). Daylily variations that lay out flowers of this type are recognized as new quality in the arsenal of breeding propositions of the recent years. Fig. 43 Daylily variations with discolored sepals

Cradle of Bethelehem

Ruby Border

Cherry Picotee

Edged in Pink

It should be noted that the above-mentioned whitening also concerns the sepals, which may suggest co-participation and significance of the throat in, very important for the beauty of daylily flower, transformation that comprise of displacement of petals’ decorative elements to structures that are functionally related to the support and protection of the perianth, or in simpler terms – moving the pattern of petals to sepals. This issue seems to be so important that it defines the throat as an element subject to breeding treatments. The proofs for this thesis can be seen in variations presented in fig.44 Fig.44 Introduction of colourful elements of throats in sepals of daylilies

Flamingo Flambeau

Bottlerocket

Amenhotep

Small World Kaleidoscope

Heavenly Christmas Cactus

Lone Star

Sweetheart Night Beacon

Tricolor

In the presented set of variations, you can see an evolution of movement of the throat’s colors from petals to sepals, from web variations to classic forms of daylily flowers. The feature that enriches the outer sepals with throat presence seems to be genetically related to web forms, because most of the web forms have it. The botanical justification could be significantly smaller sizes of sepals in web forms and physically smaller possibilities to lure insects, in comparison to classic forms. In the classical form, the throat consists only of inner areas. The appearance of new variations with colorful throat reflection on the sepals is the effect of breeding works, and the sources of this appearance are probably the web forms of daylily flowers. The discussion regarding the role of daylily flower throat in imaginative creation of new variations and their beauty, would be incomplete if we were to omit underappreciated, but significant color relations between the throat and the frill. Not many people notice that in captivatingly beautiful, modern variations of daylily flower, the frill color is a faithful transfer of throat’s coloration to the petals’ rims (fig.45). Fig. 45 Colorful relations of throat and frill

Kennesaw Mountain Hayride

Duke of Gascone

Some Sweet Day

Purple Greenway

Shamrock Delight

Shamrock Dew

Siewka Agin

Brookie Bug

Bella Note

Apple Spring

Dr Jerrold Corbett

Granny Smith