Fritillaria falcata is a species of fritillary known by the common name talus fritillary. It is endemic to California, USA, known only from 5 counties south and east of San Francisco Bay (Monterey, San Benito, Stanislaus, Alameda and Santa Clara).[3] It grows in the Coast Ranges at elevations of 300–1200 m, mostly on serpentine talus. It is sometimes considered a subspecies of Fritillaria atropurpurea.[4][5]

Talus fritillary

Imperiled  (NatureServe)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Liliaceae
Subfamily: Lilioideae
Tribe: Lilieae
Genus: Fritillaria
Species:
F. falcata
Binomial name
Fritillaria falcata
Synonyms[2]

Fritillaria atropurpurea var. falcata Jeps.

Description

edit

Fritillaria falcata grows a short stem about 10 to 20 centimeters tall surrounded by two to six flat, sickle-shaped leaves up to about 8 centimeters in length. The erect, star-shaped flower has six tepals one to two centimeters long which are greenish outside and yellow mottled with purple-brown inside.[4][5][6]

References

edit
  1. ^ "NatureServe Explorer 2.0".
  2. ^ The Plant List
  3. ^ Biota of North America Program
  4. ^ a b Flora of North America
  5. ^ a b Jepson, Willis Linn. 1922. Flora of California 1(6): 309, as Fritillaria atropurpurea var. falcata
  6. ^ Beetle, Dorothy Erna. 1944. Madroño 7(5): 148, Fritillaria falcata
edit