Perennial herb to about 60 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves cauline, lower opposite, whorled or alternate above, broadly linear. Inflorescence 2-6 flowered; bracts single, coiled, tendril-like. Flowers cup- to bell-shaped, nodding; spring.Tepals to 45 mm long, off-white to yellowish, not tessellated. Nectary large, broadly linear, greenish, basal, indented. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit winged.
F. camschatcensis (L.) Ker Gawl., Kamchatka Fritillary (Black Sarana), from Kamchatka and Japan to Alaska and Washington State is a perennial herb to about 75 cm; bulblets present. Leaves cauline, lower in whorls of 5-7, upper alternate, broadly linear. Inflorescence 1-2 flowered; bracts 3, straight. Flowers bell-shaped, nodding; spring.Tepals to 20 mm long, yellow, not tessellated, with internal raised lines. Nectary inconspicuous, oblong, basal. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit angled, not winged.
F. graeca Bois. & amp;Sprun. from S Greece is a perennial herb to about 20 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves ground level, opposite, ovate, waxy grey-green. Inflorescence 1-3 flowered; bracts alternate, straight. Flowers broadly bell-shaped, nodding; spring.Tepals to 25 mm long, greenish-purple, black to brown tessellated but with a medial clear green stripe. Nectary small, green, narrowly ovoid, above the base. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit not winged.
F.grayana Reichb.& Bak. from California is a perennial herb to about 35 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves basal and cauline, lowest opposite, alternate above, ovate. Inflorescence 2-4 flowered; bracts alternate, straight. Flowers open bell-shaped, nodding; spring. Tepals to 25 mm long, greenish to reddish brown with greenish-cream tips; not tessellated; with raised dark brown lines internally. Nectary basal, inconspicuous but long, linear and green. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit angled, not winged.
F. messanensis Raf. from Mediterranean Europe and N Africa is a perennial herb to about 45 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves cauline, lowest opposite, alternate above, linear. Inflorescence usually 1 flowered; bracts in whorls of 3, straight. Flowers broadly bell-shaped, nodding; spring. Tepals to 45 mm long, green, red-brown tessellated with a clear green medial stripe. Nectary large, ovoid, green, near the base. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit not winged. Subsp. gracilis (Ebel) Rix, is from the Balkans. Inflorescence bracts alternate. Flowers usually not tessellated.
F. persica L. from Asia Minor and the Middle East is a perennial herb to about 50 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves cauline, alternate, narrowly ovate. Inflorescence usually 7-20 flowered; bracts single or absent, straight. Flowers narrowly bell-shaped, nodding; spring. Tepals to 20 mm long, greyish to greenish purple-brown; not tessellated. Nectary small, angular, green, above the base. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit narrowly winged.'Adiyaman' is tall (to 1 m) with dull purplish-maroon flowers.
F. pontica Wahlenb. from the Balkans, Greece and Turkey is a perennial herb to about 45 cm; bulblets absent. Leaves cauline, more or less opposite, narrowly ovate. Inflorescence 1-2 flowered; bracts in a whorl of 3, straight. Flowers broadly bellshaped, nodding; spring. Tepals to 45 mm long, green, sometimes marbled with reddish-brown, not tessellated. Nectary large, round, blackish, above the base. Style smooth; stigma lobed. Fruit narrowly winged.
Siberia to NW China.
Source: (2005). Liliaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.