Fritillaria biflora var. biflora

Chocolate lily

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.1

Chocolate lily is a rare (CNPS 1B.1) California native perennial found in northern coastal California, including Mendocino and Napa counties, coastal western, and southwestern regions in grassy slopes, mesas, and serpentine barrens at elevations below 1,300 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces rich brown to purplish-brown flowers 1.8 to 4 centimeters long with a distinctive bell-like shape. Growing with slender stems 30 to 50 centimeters tall, it emerges from a deep underground bulb with a delicate, arching habit. Its leaves are broad and oblong, ranging from 8 to 40 millimeters wide, arranged alternately along the stem in a loose, sparse pattern. The flower clusters typically bear two blooms, giving this variety its distinctive "biflora" designation.

Habitat: Grassy slopes, mesas, serpentine barrens

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: < 1300 m

Bioregions: NCo (Mendocino Co.), NCoR (Mendocino, Napa cos.), CW, SW.

California counties: San Diego, Orange, San Luis Obispo, Mendocino, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Kern, Ventura, Monterey

Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.