Fritillaria falcata

Talus fritillary

Family: Liliaceae · Type: perennial · Native

Conservation status: CNPS 1B.2

Talus fritillary is a rare (CNPS 1B.2) California native perennial found in San Francisco Bay and central coastal regions of San Benito County in serpentine talus habitats at elevations of 300 to 1,200 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces flowers with mottled rusty-brown and yellow perianth parts, uniquely marked with yellow-green spots against a green background. Growing 7 to 20 centimeters tall with a large bulb, it develops sickle-shaped, widely linear leaves that are fleshy near the stem and fold distinctively. Its leaves are sparse, numbering 2 to 6, and spread alternately along the stem, each measuring 3.5 to 8.5 centimeters long. The plant produces fruit with distinctively acute-angled edges, reflecting its adaptation to serpentine rocky environments.

Habitat: Serpentine talus

Bloom period: Mar-May

Elevation: 300-1200 m

Bioregions: SnFrB, SCoRI (San Benito Co.).

California counties: San Benito, Alameda, Santa Clara, Stanislaus, Monterey

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