Fritillaria atropurpurea
Encyclopedia
Fritillaria atropurpurea is a species of fritillary
Fritillary
Fritillaria is a genus of about 100 species of bulbous plants in the family Liliaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The name is derived from the Latin term for a dice-box , and probably refers to the checkered pattern, frequently of chocolate-brown and greenish yellow,...

 known by several common names, including spotted fritillary, purple fritillary, spotted mountainbells, and spotted missionbells.

Distribution

This wildflower is native to the Western United States
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...

, where it is often found beneath trees in moldy leaf litter. This species has the widest distribution of the fritillaries, growing from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

 to the Dakotas.

Description

The Fritillaria atropurpurea stems may reach anywhere from 10 to 60 centimeters in height and bear narrow, pointed leaves at nodes along the stem. The nodding flower has splayed-open tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...

s each one or two centimeters long which are yellowish or cream-colored with heavy dark purple-brown mottling. The center of the flower has a central style
Gynoecium
Gynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...

 surrounded by stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...

s with very large yellow anthers.

This species is similar to Fritillaria pinetorum
Fritillaria pinetorum
Fritillaria pinetorum, known by the common names Pinewoods fritillary and Davidson's fritillary, is an uncommon species of fritillary....

, but it has nodding flowers compared with the latter's erect blooms.

External links

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