Fritillaria meleagroides

Description

Fritillaria meleagroides is a Eurasian species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, native to Xinjiang, Russia (Altay Krai, Western Siberia Krai, European Russia, North Caucasus), Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Bulgaria. Fritillaria meleagroides is a bulb-producing perennial up to 40 cm tall. The leaves are linear, alternate, up to 15 cm long. The flowers are nodding (hanging), bell-shaped, dark purple or brownish-purple. Fritillaria (fritillaries) is a genus of spring flowering herbaceous bulbous perennial plants in the lily family (Liliaceae). The type species, Fritillaria meleagris, was first described in Europe in 1571, while other species from the Middle East and Asia were also introduced to Europe at that time. The genus has about 130–140 species divided among eight subgenera. The flowers are usually solitary, nodding and bell-shaped with bulbs that have fleshy scales, resembling those of lilies. They are known for their large genome size and genetically are very closely related to lilies. They are native to the temperate regions of the Northern hemisphere, from the Mediterranean and North Africa through Eurasia and southwest Asia to western North America. Many are endangered due to enthusiastic picking.