I have run a quick test of whether daylily roots can absorb water after being dug, cleaned of soil and allowed to dry. In digging up a daylily clump for a test, the fan of leaves of one crown broke off leaving the roots and part of the crown. It was discarded on a small pile of grass clippings in the sun. About eight hours later I realized that a crown with roots but no leaves would be appropriate for a test of whether daylily roots can absorb water without living root hairs. I retrieved the partial crown and roots, brushed off obvious soil, weighed it and immersed it in water overnight (12 hours). The weight before being immersed was 89 grams. The weight after being immersed and paper towel dried was 111 grams. It absorbed 22 or more grams of water. It probably absorbed somewhat more water since the soil was originally removed from the roots and crown by dry brushing. A small amount of soil was still on the surface of the roots before they were immersed (left on the roots because I did not want to roughly break all the thinner roots). Some soil soaked off the roots during the night and some was removed during the towel drying.
The sun and air drying should have killed any/all the root hairs. If they were not all killed then the typical or normal process of digging and dividing daylilies for shipment and shipping them would not have done so either.
