Fritillaria brandegeei

Greenhorn fritillary

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Greenhorn fritillary is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in southern Sierra Nevada, especially the Greenhorn Mountains and Tehachapi region, in open granitic forest at elevations of 1,500 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces pink to purple nodding flowers with green and red-edged nectaries measuring 1.2 to 2 centimeters long. Growing with tall stems 4 to 10 decimeters high, it develops large bulb scales and distinctive whorled leaf arrangements. Its leaves are lanceolate, arranged in 1 to 3 whorls of 4 to 8 below the stem and alternating above, ranging 4 to 11 centimeters in length. The fruit is distinctively winged, adding to the plant's unique botanical characteristics.

Habitat: Granitic soils, open forest

Bloom period: Apr-Jun

Elevation: 1500-2100 m

Bioregions: s SN (esp Greenhorn Mtns), Teh.

California counties: Kern, Tulare, San Diego

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