Mesa Verde National Park.  Blooming information withheld to protect the Lily.

Fritillaria atropurpurea is an exotic and infrequently encountered plant in the Four Corners area.  It grows from a bulb which sends up slender leaves, then the stalk and flower.  It grows from 4 to over 24 inches tall.  The plant is difficult to find and a rare treat.

Linnaeus named this genus in 1753 and Thomas Nuttall named this species in 1834 from a specimen collected by his friend Nathaniel Wyeth in Idaho in 1833.  "Fritillaria" is from the Latin for a dice-box, the shape of the seed capsule.  Latin gives us "atro"  for "black" and "purpur" for "purple".

Mesa Verde National Park.  Blooming information withheld to protect the Lily.

Seeds are beginning to develop as yellow pods.  In the picture below, a younger flower still has its stamens and anther sacks.

Mesa Verde National Park.  Blooming information withheld to protect the Lily.