Fritillaris

Flowers. Apr-May

Flower. Apr-May. The bell-shaped flower is about 30 mm long. The season is pretty short for the ones we've found: last week of April through the first week of May. Our first two photos are from May 18 (1997), of just about the only one remaining. The next two photos are from May 2 (2001), with scores of others blooming; it was overcast and raining, so the colors aren't great.

Leaves. Very long, slender bluish-green leaves in opposite pairs, and smaller leaves high on the stem.

Habitat. Grassy hillsides, rocky ground, open woodland. The variety in our photo (Fritillaria Cussoliensas) is extremely rare, limited to just one small area in the Alpes-Maritimes. They tend to be just under the edge of bushes edging clear spaces, on the shady side.