The life of the lily, Cardiocrinum cordatum (5)

The seed cases in close-up. As seen in the photo, each seed has a "wing" which makes it easier to be carried by the winds.

It takes eight years for one individual lily to have flowers and thus to reproduce. The plant dies after that and the cycle of life is handed down to the next generation. The lily has to wait for another eight years to see its offspring complete their life cycles.

The life of the lily, Cardiocrinum cordatum (4)

By mid-October, the sheaths (or seed cases) turn brown. The sheath tissues gradually become dry , which makes them crack open from the top. This is the ingeneous part of the seed-cases. The seeds which are stacked in columns (like CDs in a "value-package") get blown off from the top in small numbers at a time.

The life of the lily, Cardiocrinum cordatum (3)

After having been pollinated by various insects, the flowers are slowly transformed into egg-shaped sheaths where seeds are stored and mature.

The life of the lily, Cardiocrinum cordatum (2)

This is the close-up of one of the flowers

The life of the lily, Cardiocrinum cordatum (1)

This lily is found in wooded areas. The long flower stalk begins to grow in May and the flowers usually bloom in Late June to July. This photo was taken around the first week of July 2010.