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chocolate-lily, mission bells

Photo is of parent taxon

hillsborough chocolate lily

Bulb scales

large 2–8; small 0–4.

Stem

1–4.5 dm.

Leaves

3–7, alternate, often ± crowded just above ground level, 5–19 cm;

blade linear or oblong to narrowly ovate.

3–6 mm wide;

blade linear to narrowly lanceolate.

Flowers

nodding, odorless or sometimes with unpleasant odor;

tepals dark brown to greenish purple or yellowish green, narrowly ovoid, 1.8–4 cm, apex not recurved;

nectaries prominent, purplish to greenish, narrowly linear, forming narrow band 2/3 to equaling tepal length;

style obviously branched for 1/2–2/3 its length, branches longer than 1.5 mm.

1.5–2 cm, odor unpleasant.

Capsules

angled.

Fritillaria biflora

Fritillaria biflora var. ineziana

Phenology Flowering Mar.
Habitat Probably on serpentine
Elevation 0–200 m (0–700 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).

This species is sometimes confused with Fritillaria agrestis, which grows in heavier soil and has flowers with an unpleasant odor. Fritillaria roderickii is still recognized by some botanists, but it appears to be little more than a localized flower-color variant of F. biflora var. biflora, and is valued by horticulturists for this reason.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

This variety is a narrow endemic found only in the Hillsborough area of San Mateo County. It is considered rare and endangered in California.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Key
1. Leaf blade widely lanceolate to oblanceolate.
var. biflora
1. Leaf blade linear to narrowly lanceolate.
var. ineziana
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 168. FNA vol. 26, p. 168.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Fritillaria Liliaceae > Fritillaria > Fritillaria biflora
Sibling taxa
F. affinis, F. agrestis, F. atropurpurea, F. brandegeei, F. camschatcensis, F. eastwoodiae, F. falcata, F. gentneri, F. glauca, F. liliacea, F. micrantha, F. ojaiensis, F. pinetorum, F. pluriflora, F. pudica, F. purdyi, F. recurva, F. striata, F. viridea
F. biflora var. biflora
Subordinate taxa
F. biflora var. biflora, F. biflora var. ineziana
Name authority Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 20: under plate 1663. (1834) Jepson: Fl. Calif. 1: 306. (1921)
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