2. Fritillaria Tourn. ex L., Sp. Pl. 1: 303 (1753).
Taxon Description
Perennial herbs. Bulbs subglobose, usually of 2 very thick, fleshy scales, sometimes 3 or more, covered with a thin, papery, whitish tunic. Stems leafy, erect, simple, glabrous. Leaves cauline, opposite (usually lower ones), spirally arranged or whorled (usually upper ones); lower leaves petiolate, upper leaves sessile; leaf-blade linear to lanceolate, or oblong, apex blunt or cirrhose, margin entire, veins parallel. Inflorescences 1(–3)-flowered, terminal; bracts usually present. Flowers bisexual, actinomorphic, campanulate or with segments spreading from near the base, drooping, pedicillate. Tepals 6, often tessellated with light and dark colours, free, each with basal nectary present adaxially. Stamens 6, inserted at base of tepals; filaments short; anthers usually basifixed, rarely dorsifixed. Ovary cylindric, many ovules per locule; style short; stigma 3-lobed, lobes linear or very short. Fruit a loculicidal capsule, 3-loculed; capsule lobes with toothed margins. Seeds many, flattened, winged, arranged in two rows.
Taxon Statistics
About 130 species from temperate regions of the N Hemisphere. Two species native to Nepal.
Key to Species
.1 a. Stems non-white farinose distally; leaves 7–11, linear or lanceolate often with cirrhose apex…….……………………………………………………………………….…………….1 F. cirrhosa
b. Stems usually white farinose distally; leaves 10–18, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate with acuminate apex…….………………………………………………………………2 F. crassicaulis
1. Fritillaria cirrhosa D.Don, Prodr. Fl. Nepal.: 51 (1825).
Fritillaria cirrhosa subsp. roylei (Hook.) Ali; Fritillaria roylei Hook.
काकोली Kaakoli (Nepali); Himalayan fritillary, Snakehead fritillary (English).
Perennial herbs, (8–)13–75 cm tall. Bulbs subglobose or ovoid, 1.2–1.5 × 2 cm; scales 2, thick, fleshy, ovate, covered with whitish, papery tunics. Stems leafy in upper half, simple, erect, slender, smooth, often purple, white-spotted, glabrous distally. Leaves cauline, 7–11; lowermost opposite, sessile, broader, oblong or lanceolate, apex blunt; upper usually in whorl of 3 or 4, or few alternate or opposite, narrow, linear to linear-lanceolate, 5–12 × 0.3–0.7(–1.5) cm, apex often cirrhose or curved, margin entire, veins parallel. Inflorescences 1(–2)-flowered, terminal; bracts usually 3, leaf-like, apex cirrhose or curved. Flowers campanulate, drooping; pedicel 1–3.5 cm. Tepals yellowish green, often densely brown- or purple-spotted or tessellated, oblong-elliptic, unequal, inner slightly broader than outer, 3–5.5 × 1.2–2.5 cm, apex rounded or subacute; basal nectaries present adaxially. Filaments slightly papillose, 1.5–1.9 cm; anthers basifixed, 0.5–1 cm. Ovary cylindric, 5–8 mm long; style 1–1.2 cm; stigma 3-lobed, stout, erect. Capsule oblong, 1.3–1.8 × 1–1.2 cm. Seeds many, pear-shaped, narrowly winged.
Distribution: Nepal, W Himalya, E Himalaya, Tibetan Plateau, Assam–Burma, S Asia, and E Asia.
Altitudinal range: 3000–4800 m.
Ecology: Coniferous-forest, alpine scrub, meadows, moist places, rock crevices.
Flowering: May–August. Fruiting: August–October.
Whole plant of F. cirrhosa has medicinal value; bulbs and leaves are also consumed as food. The species is traded from Nepal to overseas herbal market. Considering its increasing exploitation for trade, Conservation Assessment Management Prioritization Workshop (CAMP) has listed F. cirrhosa as threatened medicinal plant in Nepal under threat category ‘Vulnerable’.
2. Fritillaria crassicaulis S.C.Chen, Acta phytotax. Sin. 15(2): 36 (1977).
Perennial herbs, 30–80 cm tall. Bulbs ovoid, 1.5–3.5 × 2–5 cm; scales 2, thick, fleshy, ovate, covered with white, thick tunic. Stems leafy in upper half, simple, erect, slender, smooth, white-spotted, usually white farinose distally. Leaves cauline, 10–18; lowermost 2 usually opposite, sessile, broader, oblong-lanceolate, apex acuminate; middle and upper leaves whorled, opposite, or alternate, oblong-lanceolate to lanceolate, 7–13 × (0.5–)1–2.6 cm, apex acuminate, margin entire, veins parallel. Inflorescences 1(–3)-flowered; bracts usually 3, leaf-like, apex acuminate. Flowers campanulate, drooping; pedicel 2–2.5 cm. Tepals yellow or yellowish green, lightly purple-spotted or tessellated, oblong to suboblong, unequal, inner slightly broader than outer, 3.5–5 × 1–1.8 cm, apex subacute; basal nectaries present adaxially, brownish yellow. Filaments slightly papillose, 1–1.2 cm; anthers basifixed, 0.7–1 cm. Ovary cylindric, ovary and style 2–2.2 cm; stigma 3-lobed, 2–3 mm, stout, erect. Capsule oblong, ca. 3 × 2 cm. Seeds many, pear-shaped, narrowly winged.
Fig. 1o-t
Distribution: Nepal and E Asia.
Altitudinal range: 2500–3400 m.
Ecology: Under Abies and Quercus forests, and open grasslands.
Flowering: May–July. Fruiting: July–September.
Bulbs are used for medicinal purposes.