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Fritillaria imperialis L.

Imperial fritillary (en), Fritillaire impériale (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Liliales > Liliaceae > Fritillaria

Characteristics

A bulb plant. It grows 60-120 cm high and 20-30 cm wide. The leaves are glossy and twisted. They occur in rings or whorls around the stout stem. The flowers are at the top of the stem. They can be 8 nodding flowers. These can be 8 cm long. There is a green tuft at the top. The colour can vary from yellow to reddish-brown.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread barochory
Mature width (meter) 0.2 - 0.4
Mature height (meter) 1.0
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Cliffs, rocky slopes and amongst scrub, 1000-3000 metres in Turkey. On humus rich soils, usually in gullies and shaded sides of large rocks, 1800-2600 metres in Kashmir.
More
It is a cool temperate plant. It is frost hardy. It can grow on heavy soils. It is best in full sun. The soils should be well drained. It suits hardiness zones 4-7.
Light 5-8
Soil humidity 2-6
Soil texture 2-4
Soil acidity 3-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-7

Usage

CAUTION: Fresh bulbs are poisonous. They contain a toxic alkaloid called imperialine. The bulbs are eaten after cooking.
Uses environmental use medicinal poison
Edible bulbs roots
Therapeutic use Anti-inflammatory agents (bulb), Cardiotonic agents (bulb), Cholinergic antagonists (bulb), Diuretics (bulb), Emollients (bulb), Heart diseases (bulb), Hypertension (bulb), Hypotension (bulb), Parasympatholytics (bulb), Relaxation (bulb), Anti-arrhythmia agents (stem), Hypotension (stem), Diuretic (unspecified), Emollient (unspecified), Poison (unspecified), Resolvent (unspecified), Angina pectoris, variant (unspecified), Anti-infective agents, local (unspecified), Blood pressure regulation (unspecified), Parasympatholytics (unspecified), Relaxation (unspecified), Anti-inflammatory agents (whole plant), Diuretics (whole plant), Emollients (whole plant)
Human toxicity toxic (bulb)
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Bulbs are planted about 20 cm deep in well prepared planting holes. Bulbs are spaced about 30 cm apart.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) 330 - 540
Germination temperacture (C°) 12 - -18
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -35
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Flower

Fritillaria imperialis flower picture by harald (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Fritillaria imperialis world distribution map, present in Afghanistan, Austria, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Pakistan, and Turks and Caicos Islands

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:535166-1
WFO ID wfo-0000767851
COL ID 6JPVK
BDTFX ID 75787
INPN ID 98970
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Imperialis comosa Petilium imperiale Petilium imperiale Fritillaria imperialis var. maxima Fritillaria imperialis

Lower taxons

Fritillaria imperialis var. imperialis Fritillaria imperialis var. kashmirensis
WorldFloraDB 2024