A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Fritillaria affinis
Fritillaria affinis (checker lily, chocolate lily) is a highly variable species in the genus Fritillaria, native to western North America, in California, Klamath Ranges, the north coast ranges, Cascade Ranges, north Sierra Nevada foothills, and the San Francisco Bay Area, north to British Columbia and Idaho. It grows from a bulb, which resembles a small mass of rice grains. The stems are 10–120 cm tall. The flowers are produced in the spring, nodding, 1–4 cm, yellowish or greenish brown with a lot of yellow mottling to purplish black with little mottling, or yellow-green mottled with purple. The leaves are in whorls. Its habitat includes oak or pine scrub or open woods and thickets near the coast. Wikipedia
In grass along hiking trail in the Marin Headlands, CA
Spotted on Mar 11, 2012
Submitted on Mar 13, 2012
4 Comments
Yes Donna--I was so delighted to see the flowers in bloom.
Nice spotting. Must be spring outside! When the rain stops, I'll have to go look.
Thank you Alice, I never saw them before too.
Interesting, never seen them before!