Fritillaria imperialis, the crown imperial, imperial fritillary or Kaiser's crown, is a species of flowering plant in the lily family, native to a wide stretch from the Anatolian plateau of Turkey, Iraq and Iran to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern India and the Himalayan foothills. It is also widely cultivated as an ornamental and reportedly naturalized in Austria, Sicily, and Washington State, USA. The common names and also the epithet "imperialis", literally "of the emperor", refer to the large circle of golden flowers, reminiscent of an emperor's crown.
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.
The lily family, Liliaceae, consists of about 15 genera and 610 species of flowering plants within the order Liliales. They are monocotyledonous, perennial, herbaceous, often bulbous geophytes. Plants in this family have evolved with a fair amount of morphological diversity despite genetic similarity. Common characteristics include large flowers with parts arranged in threes: with six colored or patterned petaloid tepals arranged in two whorls, six stamens and a superior ovary. The leaves are linear in shape, with their veins usually arranged parallel to the edges, single and arranged alternating on the stem, or in a rosette at the base. Most species are grown from bulbs, although some have rhizomes. First described in 1789, the lily family became a paraphyletic "catch-all" (wastebasket) group of petaloid monocots that did not fit into other families and included a great number of genera now included in other families and in some cases in other orders. Consequently, many sources and descriptions labelled "Liliaceae" deal with the broader sense of the family.
Fritillaria meleagris is a Eurasian species of flowering plant in the lily family. Its common names include snake's head fritillary, snake's head, chess flower, frog-cup, guinea-hen flower, guinea flower, leper lily, Lazarus bell, chequered lily, chequered daffodil, drooping tulip or, in northern Europe, simply fritillary. The plant is native to the flood river plains of Europe where it grows in abundance.
Nomocharis is a genus of the family Liliaceae. It consists of about 7 species native to montane regions of western China, Myanmar, and northern India. They are similar to Lilium, with one of the more obvious differences being the flowers being more shallow or sometimes flat.
Fritillaria pyrenaica is a species of flowering plant in the family Liliaceae, native to the Pyrenees in Spain and France. Common names include Pyrenean fritillary and Pyrenean snake's-head. It is a bulbous perennial growing to 45 cm (18 in). The pendent, bell-shaped flowers are borne in spring. They have recurved tepals which are purple tinged with brown and yellow. Like other species in this genus, notably F. meleagris, they are strongly chequered.
Fritillaria pallidiflora is an Asian species of bulbous flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, native to Xinjiang, Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The common name frequently used is Siberian fritillary, a misnomer because the species does not grow in the wild in Siberia.
Fritillaria graeca is a European plant species in the Lily family, Liliaceae. It is native to the Balkans. Some older literature says that the plant can also be found in Serbia, but all these collections are of var. gussichiae, now regarded as a distinct species called Fritillaria gussichiae.
Eucomis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to southern Africa. Most species of this genus are commonly referred to as pineapple flowers or pineapple lilies. They are bulbous perennials with basal rosettes of leaves and stout stems covered in star-shaped flowers with a tuft of green bracts at the top, superficially resembling a pineapple – hence the common names.
The Lilioideae are a subfamily of monocotyledon perennial, herbaceous mainly bulbous flowering plants in the lily family, Liliaceae. They are found predominantly in the temperate and colder regions of the Northern Hemisphere, particularly East Asia and North America. The subfamily includes two tribes. They are of economic importance, particularly the lilies and tulips.
Fritillaria cirrhosa, common name yellow Himalayan fritillary, is an Asian species of herbaceous plant in the lily family, native to China, the Indian Subcontinent, and Myanmar.
Fritillaria messanensis is a European species of flowering plant in the lily family, native to southeastern Europe: Italy, Greece, Albania, former Yugoslavia.
Fritillaria gussichiae is a European plant species in the lily family, native to Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Serbia, Albania, and Greece.
Fritillaria macedonica is a European species of flowering plant in the lily family, native to Albania, Macedonia, and Serbia.
Fritillaria drenovskii is a rare European species of plants in the lily family, native to the Thrace region of northeastern Greece, as well as Blagoevgrad Province in southwestern Bulgaria.
Edward Martyn Rix is a British botanist, collector, horticulturalist and author. Following completion of a PhD on Fritillaria at Cambridge University, he worked in Zurich, Switzerland and at the Royal Horticultural Society gardens at Wisley. Hhe is the author of many books and articles on plants and horticulture and is the editor of Curtis's Botanical Magazine, based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London.
Fritillaria raddeana is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant, distributed in Iran, Turkmenistan and Kashmir. It is a species in the genus Fritillaria, in the family Liliaceae. It is placed in the subgenus Petilium. Resembling Fritillaria imperialis, but shorter, it is sometimes referred to as the dwarf crown imperial.
Fritillaria sewerzowii is a perennial herbaceous bulbous plant, distributed in alpine areas of central Asia. It is a species in the genus Fritillaria, in the family Liliaceae. It is placed in the subgenus Korolkowia.
Fritillaria dagana is a rare perennial herbaceous bulbous plant, distributed in Siberia. It is a species in the genus Fritillaria of the family Liliaceae. It is placed in the subgenus Liliorhiza.
