Yellow Himalayan fritillary

What does Yellow Himalayan fritillary look like?

Fritillaria cirrhosa is a perennial herb with slender, upright stems reaching up to 60 cm tall. Its leaves are long, narrow, and usually grow in pairs or whorls. The plant produces one to three nodding, bell-shaped flowers at the top of the stem. The flowers have six tepals that range from yellowish-green to brownish-purple, often marked with a dull purple checkered pattern. The bulbs are small, up to 20 mm across. The fruit is a capsule with narrow wings.

Where does Yellow Himalayan fritillary come from?

This plant is native to the alpine slopes, shrublands, and moist meadows of the Himalayas and southwestern China, growing at elevations between 2,700 and 4,000 meters. It is found in regions such as Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan, Nepal, Bhutan, India, Pakistan, and Myanmar. Fritillaria cirrhosa was first described by David Don in 1825. The genus name refers to the checkered pattern of the flowers, while the species name hints at the plant's curly or tendril-like features.

When and how Yellow Himalayan fritillary blooms

Fritillaria cirrhosa flowers from May to July. It thrives in cool, moist, high-altitude habitats and is adapted to alpine slopes, shrublands, and forest edges. The plant reproduces both by seed, dispersed by wind or water, and asexually, though its breeding is not well documented. Cultivation is challenging due to its specific habitat needs, so most bulbs are still collected from the wild.

How Yellow Himalayan fritillary is used

The bulbs of Fritillaria cirrhosa are highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine and are used to treat coughs, asthma, and other respiratory issues. They are an ingredient in herbal syrups and powders, and are also used in food and ritual offerings in the Nepal Himalaya. In Tibet and Ladakh, the plant is used as a snake bite antidote. Overharvesting for these uses has put the species at risk.

Kinds of Yellow Himalayan fritillary

Some plants once considered varieties or forms of Fritillaria cirrhosa are now recognized as separate species, such as Fritillaria yuzhongensis, Fritillaria sichuanica, and Fritillaria taipaiensis. No infraspecific varieties are currently recognized for Fritillaria cirrhosa itself.

What Yellow Himalayan fritillary means

Fritillaria cirrhosa is a Class III protected species in China due to its declining wild populations. Its bulbs are an important part of Chinese herbal medicine, and the plant is also used in ritual offerings in the Himalayas. Conservation efforts are underway in regions like Sichuan and Yunnan to protect its genetic diversity and reduce wild harvesting.

Questions people ask about Yellow Himalayan fritillary

Good reading and sources

• IUCN Red List of Threatened SpeciesIUCN Red List, Article
• Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
• Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
• Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database

• Fritillaria cirrhosa on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data