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mike_z6

Senescence in Daylilies

mike_z6
11 years ago

HI Folks,
I am interested to know if any hybridizers are working to extend the length of time a daylily flower stays open. The term is "senescence". Daylilies follow a normal process of senescence by their flowers opening in the morning then closing at night. They last for one day.
This process of senescence is genetically controlled. Within a population of daylilies, there are those who's flowers seem to remain fresh for a longer period of time.
Have you recognized any cultivars that have the tendency to remain open for an extended period of time?
It would be great to incorporate this characteristic into a hybridizing program.
Mike

Comments (10)

  • Ed
    11 years ago

    I'm not aware of anyone in particular that is hybridizing for this trait. I have seen hybrids from crosses between diurnal and nocturnal species often produce offspring that will have bloom that last more than one day. I have a seedling out of YELLOW EXPLOSION that blooms over a three day period.
    Ed

  • mike_z6
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Ed,
    I'm starting to bring my thoughts together for next years hybridizing season.
    The cultivar Yellow Explosion was registered in 1989 and is a diploid. It is bright yellow, apparently bright yellow daylilies have and abundance of chromoplast that store flower pigments. This may help in the yellow flowers ability to last longer than say a red flower.
    There is another daylily called "Cradle Song" which is an old daylily that studies have been done on because its yellow flower will stay fresh for up to 36 hours.

    Just from my own observations, yellow daylily flowers tend to stay firmer for longer periods of time. I alway thought this was from lighter colors reflecting more of the suns heat and therefore hindering wilting. But now I understand there are other factors at play in the flower that cause it to senesce.

    From the few hundred seedlings I have there are definitely those that produce flowers that will hold up under the suns rays better than others. This could be because of what you mentioned above "I have seen hybrids from crosses between diurnal and nocturnal species often produce offspring that will have bloom that last more than one day".

    I have never identified which of my plants are diurnal or nocturnal. This year I will have to keep more inclusive records and see if I have a few that will last for more than one 24 hour period.
    Below is a video link of a common daylily going through the four stages of senescence. Initial opening, fully open, beginning of wilt, senesced.
    You can see that the flower opens up and the petals increase in substance until it reaches fully open. Then the petals begin to lose substance and reach the final stage of senescence. This is a tightly controlled sequence of events that all daylilies go through.
    It would be awesome to identify some cultivars which have overcome this to a certain extent. There is the possibility of extending the flowers lasting ability genetically.

    Just winter dreaming !!!
    Have a Happy and Healthy New Year!!!

    http://plantsinmotion.bio.indiana.edu/plantmotion/flowers/daylily/daylily.html

  • lisa_3
    11 years ago

    Gossard has one daylily that I know of that can last two days.
    Heavenly Flight of Angels blooms one day and the second day the bloom lasts but is paler in color. I know it actually does it, because I have it. I have a few that can extend a second day if blooming in cooler weather, But Flight of Angels is pretty consistent. Here's a picture of day one-day two more creamy.

  • mike_z6
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Lisa,
    Thanks for the info. Heavenly Flight of Angels is a diploid and it is listed as being able to keep its blooms for two days. Its parentage is from (Flutterby x Wildest Dreams). Flutterby has "Nocturnal" in its parentage and Wildest Dreams has "Diurnal" in its parentage.
    This may be what Ed was refering to in the above post.
    I am interested to see if anyone comes up with some Tetraploids which keep their flowers open more than one day?
    Thanks,
    Mike

  • lisa_3
    11 years ago

    I'm thinking that Evidence of Aliens, Norris,(also a dip) opens flat the first day and curled back the second, but can't find much info on it tonight for some reason. I won't trust my memory as fact on that one-so maybe someone else will know.

  • mike_z6
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    HI Lisa,
    Yes, Evidence of Aliens is a Richard Norris daylily! It is nocturnal meaning that it begins opening in the afternoon and stays open at night. It probably stays open until the next day.
    It has as a parent "Lights of Detroit" which is also nocturnal.
    Lights of Detroit has several siblings of which two are also nocturnal.

    Its becoming evident that if you cross a diurnal daylily with a nocturnal daylily you may actually extend the length of time the daylily stays open and fresh.

    Pretty Interesting !

    Mike

  • Hostarina
    11 years ago

    A Spring 2013 Introduction listed on the LA ~
    "A TRIBUTE TO MARY GASKINS", Seedling of Mary Gaskins: Malcolm David Brooker Sr. x Paula Nettles - Gaskins/Grenkowitz." includes in the description "Opens around 9:00 P.M. at night and stays open till at least 24 hours the next night. This Daylily will be the new standard for daylilies around your deck."

  • mike_z6
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Rina,
    I took a look at the Lily Auction page where the description is given of the daylily. I also checked the Gaskin Web site to see if there was additional info on this daylily. It looks like a beauty!
    It must definitely be classified as a nocturnal if it starts to open ate 9 pm and stays open the whole next day.
    Interesting that none of the parents of Mary's tribute are listed as nocturnal.
    Maybe it starts to slightly open at 9pm and is fully open by the morning.
    I have seen many day lilies that will extend their pistol out of the flower tip the day before opening but the flower really does not open until the next day.
    This is a brand new daylily introduction so there isn't much info on it yet.
    The starting bid on the auction is $100, a little steep for my wallet.
    Because of the lack of information it is hard to say if crossing this with a daylily that begins to bloom early in the morning (diurnal) would produce any progeny that would have extended bloom.
    Still it great to hear that there are daylily cultivars out there that can keep their flowers open for extended bloom.
    I know for myself, I just havn't paid much attention to the lenght of time the flower stays open. This year I plan to keep some good records an see if there are some winners among my seedlings. I have some that will keep their freshness into the evening but I can't say whether they can go over night and still stay open.
    Thanks for sharing,
    Mike

  • gardenofeden777
    11 years ago

    I was so excited to see this post Mike, as I just got a plant last summer and the blooms last 3 days each! No kidding and I mean it is pretty all 3 days. It has become my favorite daylily now and I didn't buy it, it was a bonus. Groovy Chic, I bought several off the LA from them and that plant was the bonus. And it is fragrant, at least here in our humidity.

    Rena'

  • mike_z6
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    Hi Rena,
    'Groovy Chick'(Pickles, 2007) Scape height 28 inches bloom size 5 inches bloom season Early-Midseason,rebloom sculpting
    Relief ploidy Tetraploid foliage type Semi-Evergreen Fragrance bloom habit Extended.

    This is the description I got for the daylily I think you are refering to. Color: gold with tiny ruffles above green throat Parentage: (America's Most Wanted � Empire Returns)
    I have always liked Pickles Daylilies they are round with heavy substance.

    "America's Most Wanted" comes out of Sherry Lane Carr both these daylilies have flowers that stay open and good looking for at least 16 hours.There is one cultivar that is out of AMW called Faye Simonds(Hansen) that is nocturnal but I don't have any further info on this one.
    "Empire Returns" has one progeny that is nocturnal called "Keys to the Kingdom" I am not familiar with the longevity of these flowers.

    For your flower to stay open 3 days there is definitly some genetics going on there that are not found in all daylilies. That would be a good plant to hybridize with.

    Mike

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