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chocolate-lily, mission bells

Davidson's fritillary, pine fritillary, pine woods fritillary

Bulb scales

large 2–8; small 0–4.

large 2–5; small 45–50.

Stem

1–4.5 dm.

1–4 dm, ± glaucous.

Leaves

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

blade linear or oblong to narrowly ovate.

4–20, in whorls of 2–3 leaves per node proximally, alternate distally, 5–15 cm, often equaling or larger than inflorescence;

blade linear, glaucous;

distal leaves usually ca. 1/3–1/2 length of proximalmost leaf.

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.

± erect, occasionally nodding;

tepals purplish, clearly mottled greenish yellow, 1.4–1.9 cm, apex not recurved;

nectaries obscure, yellow, dotted brown, widely ovate, 2/3 tepal length;

style obviously branched to near base, branches longer than 1.5 mm.

Capsules

angled.

angled.

2n

= 26.

Fritillaria biflora

Fritillaria pinetorum

Phenology Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Shaded or partially shaded granitic slopes
Elevation 1800–3200 m (5900–10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[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.)

Fritillaria pinetorum is easily confused with F. atropurpurea.

(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. 170.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Fritillaria Liliaceae > Fritillaria
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. affinis, F. agrestis, F. atropurpurea, F. biflora, F. brandegeei, F. camschatcensis, F. eastwoodiae, F. falcata, F. gentneri, F. glauca, F. liliacea, F. micrantha, F. ojaiensis, F. pluriflora, F. pudica, F. purdyi, F. recurva, F. striata, F. viridea
Subordinate taxa
F. biflora var. biflora, F. biflora var. ineziana
Synonyms F. atropurpurea var. pinetorum
Name authority Lindley: Edwards’s Bot. Reg. 20: under plate 1663. (1834) Davidson: Muhlenbergia 4: 67. (1908)
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