The bract is the leaf thingy or modified leaf. Here is the AHS definition link http://www.daylilies.org/ahs_d...
What comes out of that bract is a branch and then sometimes prolifs

Oh that link was helpful Michele thank you!

blue23rose I have always had scapes with leaves just like that. But when I seen the branching on this scape-it looks like one of the branches is attached to the scape and not acutally part OF the scape, I have never noticed that before.
I didn't know those little leafies were called bracts...

Michele, I now see the green you are talking about. I was probably cutting the prolif off too soon then since these still had green on them. I am not sure what happened to the prolifs in the picture. If I was able to get roots on them, I probably gave them to someone.

Frilly, they certainly do look like they have been attached to the scape. One of those weird anomalies of nature

Thanks for the link Michele. I didn't know that was called a bracts either and that it could produce a branch or prolif. Slowly but surely all these definitions will sink into my brain

ok I have some scapes that have prolifs on them. I had to cut them even though I know they should have stayed on the plant longer. The public garden is going to be cutting off the scapes this week and dividing some of he plants. So they have very green scapes and small prolifs with little to no roots. What is the best way to plant these, pot them or put them in water? I am inclined to put them in water. Should I put them outside in the shade or bring them indoors? I did buy some rooting hormone. Will they have enough roots to plant outdoors before winter or do most people overwinter these little starts indoors?

I would put them in water, plain water, just up to the point where the prolif comes off the stem. I can't say about overwintering as I don't have that kind of winter that you experience.

well I cut the scapes off near the ground so they are still 2 ft tall !
How much do I stick in the water and do I cut anything off the top? Some of them had seed pods on top and I snapped those off because I figure they would take energy away from the prolif. I'm guessing that I should cut the bottom of the scape to about 3 or 4 inches from the prolif and then put that in water up to the prolif. ? But do I leave the top on the scape-they are still green so I am thinking still feeding the prolif and I should keep the top on.

Cut the top off, it's drawing energy now. The stem will not feed the prolif; only take energy away from root development. I would cut the bottom of the stem about 2" below the bottom of the scape; you can even go lower say to 1". You just want something to keep it standing up when leaning against the side of the glass or jar. You can adjust the water to where it needs to be.

ok great, I did not realize that about the tops, I will cut them off.

YVW!

The prolifs that I have started have been late and I know that one of them I just stuck in the ground after it rooted. It lived through that winter fine. Not sure what year that was, but it may have been a mild winter for southern Indiana. If we had a winter like this last one, I'm not sure if it would have survived or not. Wish I could be of more help on this!

*I* barely survived last winter myself.... I couldn't ask much of my garden ha ha

Ok so I put the prolifs in water in a pint jar (post pics later for you) They have roots now! Some of them have roots 2-3 inches long. it is SO very hot here right now, 100 every day and dry. I am tempted to just leave them in the jars for a week or two until the temps cool alittle before putting them out in the garden. Then I thought I might pot them but I didn't think they would do that great over the winter in a pot and if I pot them now and plant them later they may not get rooted enough in the soil before winter and may not make it. So what do I do now? How long can I leave them in the water? I am changing it out almost every day because of the heat I am afraid they could rot if I don't.
I have Africa, St. Elmo's Fire, Cornish King, Valenino, Dinet Sue and Joan Senior. I had a prolif of Robert Oliver but it didn't make it. dried up and died.

The heat will definitely take a toll on them so I would wait until it is cooled off some. But keep in mind that a lot of times the prolifs will look like death warmed over after planting because they are trying to get established and the foliage will turn yellow and sometimes it will look like they died and then all of a sudden the green starts to reappear.
If you plan to plant them back next to the mama plant then you can go ahead and do it and use the mama's foliage to cover the prolif to protect it from the heat/sun. I do this sometimes and I also pot mine up and put in the shade until good and established. But I don't see a problem with leaving them in the jars for a week or two as long as you are changing the water

Ok, thank you, I am going to try leaving them because they seem happy and are growing. I had not thought of planting them under the foliage of another dl for shade. That is great idea. I don't have the mama plant so I will have to monitor and move it out before they grow together. Maybe next fall I could separate it. I got these at my city garden, they were just tossing them and I thought it would be a great way to get some nice plants since I am broke right now! I hated to see them go to waste and was surprised at how fast they have grown roots.

Yay for you for rescuing them! When the temps. cool down some, you can pot them up & if you're worried about them over winter, you just dig holes & put the pots in the ground, that way you don't disturb the roots by transplanting again yet you get the benefit of the ground keeping them warm as opposed to them sitting on top of the ground. When spring comes, you can truly plant them in the garden.

That is a good idea too- to put the pot in the ground. Might try that.

I know this is an old thread, but thank you so much for the information that ALL of you have provided in it! I have three prolifs of various sizes (although all small and I don't think any have roots) on stalks that are in various stages of turning brown. I really don't think any of them are going to develop roots before the stalks completely die off, so I'm glad that there was information in here about how to handle that situation.

Dumb question about prolifs: Are they exactly the same as the parent plant?

I know with trees, many of the new cultivars come from "witches brooms", or mutated versions of the tree growing on itself. Is that the same thing that is going on with proliferations of daylilies? Or are they genetically identical?