Daylily Haiku Thursday | Polytepalous...?


Something to ponder...

An hour this week was spent discussing this photo with someone who insisted this was a polymerous bloom on H. 'Brookwood Pink Pinnacle.'

Before I go any further, lets get the pronunciation of polymerous out of the way...according to dictionary.com, it is: [puh-lim-er-uhs]

Fact that should settle the debate with my friend:  the flower on the left has two pistils, which to me indicates a fused bloom.  We scoured the definition and didnt see a reference to pistil disposition, but found the reference in the Judging Daylilies handbook in the section regarding judging polymerous blooms.  

The AHS Dictionary of Terms defines a polymerous bloom as:  an adjective used to designate a daylily with more than the normal number of segments in each floral whorl, i.e., more than the normal three sepals (usually four or five) in the outer whorl and more than three petals (usually the same number as sepals) in the inner whorl. Polymerous daylilies have the extra sepals and petals evenly spaced in their respective whorls, unlike double daylilies in which the extra petals or petaloid stamens are stacked upon or lie above the ordinary petals. Moreover, polymerous daylilies have extra stamens; eight if there are four petals or ten for five petals, rather than the usual six. Most polymerous daylilies have the same number of carpels in the pistil (and therefore the capsule) as there are petals. 

In order to conform to current botanical usage, AHS has adopted this term in place of "polytepalous" and "polytepal".

What do you think?  Is it polymerous or fused?

i'm always learning-
the green garden is a school
blooming in my mind!


4 comments:

El said...

polymerous, for sure, according to your definition.

hidden art of homemaking said...

I found you thru pinterest....now I am your newest follower...I have such a passion for daylilies....
Mona

hidden art of homemaking said...

but I can't figure out how to follow you.. so I will just bookmark you..

Dollybelle said...

Nikki, I pinned your polymerous daylily and didn't have the name of the daylily. Could you please let us know its name? Thanks!

 

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