The shape or structure of a daylily flower. The AHS officially recognizes the following forms for registration and exhibition purposes: single, double, spider, unusual form, and polymerous flowers.
(In registering a daylily all form characteristics of the flower should be considered and there is additional information, such as sculpting, that should be provided in registering a daylily that may, or may not be taken into consideration when showing a flower.)
Single -- Daylily flowers that have three petals, three sepals, six stamens and one pistil (comprised of three carpels) are known as "single" daylilies. A single daylily flower may occasionally have fewer or more (see "polymerous") parts per whorl. Also see "monocot", "double".
An example of a 'single' bloom.

Photo: Pat Lovelend, used with permission.
Double -- Double daylilies, like single daylilies, come in different forms. 'Hose-in-Hose' doubles have extra whorls (layers) of petals so that there appears to be a flower within a flower. 'Peony type' doubles have petaloid (petal-like) stamens inside the normal petal whorl. Carpels may also be petaloid.

Photos by Tim Fehr, used with
permission. Cultivars: Left, CONDILLA (Grooms
1977) a hose-in-hose double. Right, BETTY WOODS (Kirchhoff,1980) a peony type double.
Spider -- A flower whose petals have a length-to-width ratio of at least 4 to 1 (i.e., 4:1). Length is measured with the segment fully extended. Width measurement is taken as the flower grows naturally. (Older literature may designate "Spiders" as having a ratio of 5:1, and "Spider Variants" as having a ratio of 4:1. AHS merged the two classes into the one spider class in 2003.)

Photo:
Mary Anne Leisen. Used with permission. Cultivar: CAT'S
CRADLE
Unusual Form -- A class of daylilies based exclusively on the shapes of the petals or sepals. These shapes include Crispate (pinched, twisted, or quilled), Cascade, and Spatulate. One or more of these shapes must be displayed on at least 3 petals or 3 sepals.
Crispate:
Pinching - Floral segments with sharp folds giving a
pinched or folded effect.

Twisting - Floral segments which present a corkscrew or
pinwheel effect.

Quilling - Floral segments turn upon themselves along
their length to form a tubular shape.

Cascade:
Cascading/Curling - Narrow floral segments with pronounced
curling or cascading, which revolve upon themselves in the
manner of a wood shaving.

Spatulate
Spatulate - Floral segments markedly wider at the end
like a kitchen spatula.
In the above drawings, the far right illustrations are by
Kathleen Schuller, second from the right are by Marc King.
Polymerous -- Polymerous is 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.
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Examples:
left, a 4x4 polymerous bloom, on right, the rarer 5x5
polymerous bloom. Photos by Melanie Mason, used with permission. |
Multiform:
This term is used where the daylily in question has been registered correctly as exhibiting 2 or more of the forms spider, unusual form, polymerous, or double." An example of a multiform is a daylily that is both a spider and an unusual form, or a polymerous double, etc, but a single spider, etc. is not a multi-form.
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Trickster (Tankesley-Clarke, 2004) UFo Crispate-Cascade & Double 98% |
Firefly Frenzy (Joiner-J. 2002) UFo Crispate & Double 98% |
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Sebastian The Crab,(Joiner-J. 2003) registered as a Double & an Unusual Form. |
Osterized (Hite-Davisson, 1999) is registered as a polymerous UF |
All four photos: Julie Covington, used with permission. |
Sculpted
A term used to describe three-dimensional structural features involving or emanating from the throat, midrib or elsewhere on the petal surfaces. Sculpted forms belong to one of three different groups: Pleated, Cristate and Relief.
These form characteristics are collected on the current registration form but are not currently recognized for exhibition purposes.
Other Descriptive Terms (Sub-forms):
Other terms used to describe flower shapes, such as "circular", "flat", "informal" "recurved", "star", "triangular", and "trumpet" are called "sub-forms". (See Judging Daylilies, pp. 37-Circular -- When viewed from the front
of a bloom, the flower appears
round. Segments tend
to be short, wide and stubby, and generally
overlap, giving a full appearance.
See also: Recurved

Photo by Tim Fehr, uesd with
permission. Cultivar: CUSTARD
CANDY (Stamile)
Flat -- When viewed from the side of a bloom,
flowers are perfectly flat except for the concave throat.

Photo by Rebecca Board, used
with permission.
Informal -- When viewed from front of bloom,
flower segments have no definable shape. Segment
placement may be irregular, widely spaced or
floppy.
Recurved -- When
viewed from the side of a bloom, flower segments flare,
but the ends of some segments roll back or tuck under. When the sepals are all recurved, and the petals are not, the result is a triangular form, when both sepals and petals recurve, the result is often the round form.

When viewed from the side you can see that both the petals and sepals roll back showing the recurved form. Below is the same plant taken front on.

Photos: Tim Fehr, used with permission. Cultivar: Sir Francis Drake (Stamile)
Star -- When viewed from front of bloom,
flower segments tend to be long and pointed.
There is space between the segments, and the
shape looks like a three-pointed or six pointed
star.

Photo by Brian Mahieu, used
with permission. Seedling:
HOOD COLLEGE x H. Citrina
Triangular -- When viewed from the front
of the bloom, the flower segments form a
triangle. The sepals generally recurve.

Photo by Tim Fehr, used with permission: Cultivar:
Barbara Mitchell
Trumpet -- When viewed from side of bloom, flower form
resembles a true lily. Segments rise from throat in an
upward fashion with little flare.

Photo by Brian Mahieu, used
with permission.
©
Copyright 2000, 2007, 2010, 2012 by the American Hemerocallis Society, Inc.
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