Thanks, David. Bear with me here. It's been years since I've seen a Neomarica inflorescence. Let's concentrate on what you are calling the short stem supporting the flower. Is this a discrete stem, or is it the "tube" of the flower itself? Now on to something else of interest: While checking some references here, I ran across something about these plants which came as a surprise to me. In Liberty Hyde Bailey's 1904 Cyclopedia of American Horticulture three species are discussed (as members of the genus Marica): gracilis, northiana and caerulea. Bailey makes this comment: "they are planted in the fall, and are hardy with winter covering." At the time, Bailey was "Professor of Horticulture in Cornell University" - hardly an area noted for mild winters. Does anyone know of cases of successful outdoor cultivation of these plants in areas with cold winters? Jim McKenney jimmckenney@jimmckenney.com Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7 My Virtual Maryland Garden http://www.jimmckenney.com/ Webmaster Potomac Valley Chapter, NARGS Editor PVC Bulletin http://www.pvcnargs.org/ Webmaster Potomac Lily Society http://www.potomaclilysociety.org/