Fritillaria affinis
Checker lily
(c) Franco Folini, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · licence
Family: Liliaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1
Fritillaria affinis (Checker lily) is a native California herb in the Liliaceae family, recognized by large size and mottled flowers diagnostic.
Checker lily is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in northwestern California, Cascade Range foothills, northern Sierra Nevada foothills, and central western California in oak and pine scrub, grassland habitats at elevations up to 1,800 meters. Flowering from March to June, this plant produces distinctive brown-purple flowers mottled with yellow, nodding elegantly with perianth parts 1 to 4 centimeters long. Growing with stems 1 to 12 decimeters tall, it develops from a large bulb with distinctive scaled architecture. Its leaves appear in 1 to 4 whorls of 2 to 8 below the stem, becoming alternate above, ranging 4 to 16 centimeters long in lance-linear to ovate shapes. The fruit develops with widely winged edges, characteristic of this unique lily species.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 17 sympatric species; large size and mottled flowers diagnostic
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Oak or pine scrub, grassland
Elevation: < 1800 m
California counties: San Luis Obispo, Butte, Siskiyou, Mendocino, Monterey, San Mateo, Napa, Humboldt, Sonoma, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Alameda, Marin, Lake, Trinity, Del Norte, Tehama, San Francisco, Solano, San Benito, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Placer, Yuba, Glenn, Sierra, Sutter, Ventura, Shasta, Colusa, Yolo, Stanislaus, Nevada, Mariposa, Calaveras, San Bernardino
Outside California: to British Columbia, Idaho
Bloom period
Fritillaria affinis blooms Mar-Jun.
Conservation status
CNPS 1B.1
How to tell it apart
vs Lilium: Fritillaria has dark glandular spots in the lower half of each petal; Lilium petals lack these nectary patches.; vs Calochortus: Fritillaria flowers droop downward with glands inside; Calochortus flowers face upward or outward.; vs Platanthera: Fritillaria has 6 similar bell-shaped petals; orchid flowers have distinctly different upper and lower petals.; vs Clintonia: Fritillaria flowers hang downward with internal glands; Clintonia flowers stand upright and produce berries.; vs Maianthemum: Fritillaria has large drooping bells with 6 petals; Maianthemum has tiny 4-parted flowers in clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Fritillaria affinis native to California?
Yes. Fritillaria affinis is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Fritillaria affinis bloom?
Fritillaria affinis blooms Mar-Jun.
Where in California does Fritillaria affinis grow?
Fritillaria affinis occurs in San Luis Obispo, Butte, Siskiyou, Mendocino, Monterey, San Mateo, Napa, Humboldt and other counties, at elevations of < 1800 m.
What plant family does Fritillaria affinis belong to?
Fritillaria affinis is in the Liliaceae family, genus Fritillaria.
Is Fritillaria affinis rare or endangered?
Fritillaria affinis carries California Rare Plant Rank 1B.1, state rank S2.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-08
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.