''Fritillaria affinis'', the chocolate lily, is a highly variable species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae native to western
North America.
Description
It grows from a
bulb, which resembles a small mass of rice grains. The stems are tall. The flowers are produced in the spring, nodding, , yellowish or greenish brown with a lot of yellow mottling to purplish black with little mottling, or yellow-green mottled with purple. The leaves are in
whorls
A whorl ( or ) is an individual circle, oval, volution or equivalent in a whorled pattern, which consists of a spiral or multiple concentric objects (including circles, ovals and arcs).
Whorls in nature
File:Photograph and axial plane floral ...
.
There are two
varieties
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
:
*''Fritillaria affinis'' var. ''affinis'': This is the more common and widespread variant, occurring throughout the plant's range. It can be differentiated by its strong mottling pattern. Its bulb has 2 to 20 small scales.
*''Fritillaria affinis'' var. ''tristulis'': This variant is much less widespread; it is found only in
Marin County on the north coast of California. It has a much more subtle mottling pattern and is generally darker overall. Its bulb has 60 to 100 small scales.
Distribution and habitat
It can be found in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
,
Klamath Ranges, the north coast ranges,
Cascade Ranges, north
Sierra Nevada foothills, and the
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Go ...
, north to
British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
,
Oregon
Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. T ...
,
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
,
Montana
Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...
and
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...
.
[Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, ''Fritillaria affinis''](_blank)
/ref>
Its habitat includes oak or pine scrub or open woods and thickets near the coast. It prefers low to mid-elevation, shade or part shade, dry summer dormancy, and good drainage.
Uses
The roots or bulbs can be eaten raw or cooked. Historically, the bulbs of this plant were eaten steamed by Salish
Salish () may refer to:
* Salish peoples, a group of First Nations/Native Americans
** Coast Salish peoples, several First Nations/Native American groups in the coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest
** Interior Salish peoples, several First Nat ...
Native American peoples, including the Squamish, Sechelt
Sechelt (, Shishalh language chat'lich) is a district municipality located on the lower Sunshine Coast of British Columbia. Approximately 50 km northwest of Vancouver, it is accessible from mainland British Columbia by a 40-minute ferry tr ...
, Halq'emeylem and Straits Salish.
See also
* List of plants known as lily Lily usually refers to herbaceous plants of the genus ''Lilium'', with large showy trumpet-shaped flowers. Many species are cultivated as ornamentals.
Many other plants not closely related to lilies are called lilies, usually because their flowers ...
References
External links
Treatment from the Jepson Manual
ITIS 43217
find correct number-->
* Harlow, Nora, Jakob, Kristin, and Raiche, Roger (2003) ''Wild Lilies, Irises, and Grasses''. University of California Press. .
CalFlora Taxon Report
Edible plants
affinis
Flora of North America
Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands
Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
Plants described in 1829
{{Liliales-stub