Fritillaria acmopetala, the pointed-petal fritillary,[3] is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, native to rocky limestone mountain slopes in the Middle East. It was described by the Swiss botanist Pierre Edmond Boissier in 1846.
Description
Fritillaria acmopetala is a bulbousperennial plant with an erect stem reaching heights of 30–70 cm (12–28 in). The long, straight, very narrow leaves grow in whorls about the lower stem and in pairs near the top. The stem has one or more nodding flowers at each node. The flower has six tepals, each 3 cm long. The outer ones are yellowish-green with some darker patches and red veins, the inner ones purplish brown at the top and bottom. The insides of both are yellow.[4][5] The bell-shaped flower flares out sharply at the mouth.[6]
There are two subspecies, Fritillaria acmopetala ssp. acmopetala and Fritillaria acmopetala ssp. wendelboi. The latter has broader leaves and is restricted to Southern Turkey[7]
The plant was introduced into cultivation in 1874.[6] It needs well-draining, fertile soil, like most fritillaries. The bulbs should be planted 10 cm (3.9 in) deep. In Britain, it flowers in early April and is fully hardy.[6] This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[3]
^Bou Khater, M. (2010). "Espèce: Fritillaria acmopetala Boiss". Lebanon Flora. Faculté des sciences Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth. Archived from the original on August 16, 2011. Retrieved May 4, 2011.
^Boissier, Pierre Edmond. 1846. Diagnoses Plantarum Orientalium novarum. Lipsiae ser. 1, 7: 104. According to Pavord, the inside is green
