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Black Sarana, Chocolate Lily, Indian Rice, Fritillary, Fritillaria Fritillaria camschatcensis
This Fritillary ranges from central Japan, up the Russian coast, all the way to Alaska.
The Japanese commercial cultivars are selected for the darkness of their blooms: the Japanese name is "Black Lily"
lovely photo. Hard to get under the flower and photo up into it. I have these growing wild next to my house here in the Aleutians. They are called "Rice Roots" locally. Very tasty if dug at the proper time and from good soil. I don't recommend the ones dug from beach sand... very bitter. I boil the ones from hillsides and then throw away the water, twice... and mash with butter. Have eaten them preserved in seal oil... also tasty. Anyway, I didn't know they had been cultivated for darkness... any idea where to obtain them commercially in the US? I'd like to plant some near my wild ones and see what happens... The ones I have range from pale to dark, but nothing near as black as the one in your photo.
Fascinating!
I was so taken with this that I had a look at the complete plant entry in the PDB. Weezingreens comments are interesting - including the aroma of the flower. I must say, although I love the flowers of many, I've always been put off growing Fritillaria on account of the awful smell from the bulbs/leaves. I can't imagine trying to eat one!!
Lovely dark flower though - and very different from the one Weez posted
Unfortuately I have never tasted my bulbs: at 700 Yen apiece (about 6$) I think I'll stick to caviar - less expensive! :)
This year the pollen didn't take, but if I can get seeds next year, I'd be glad to trade you for the seeds of your pale ones!
Phi - Hey! I've been in a bat cave (Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico) and the Frits smell sweet in comparison...
You're one up on me then Loph. I've only been in our local ex building stone mines where we have to hunt hard to find 50 bats tucked away in crevices. Never been in a cave with even a minor guano problem, let alone a major one ;)
How dare you say that bats smell worse than Frits!!? (Did you take your gas mask??) *g*
I have a very difficult time with our fritaleria. It is not this dark, more of the orange/red colouring, but I in 8 years I have yet to see it bloom. It comes up each year as healthy as can be, we get a late last minute frost and I am assuming that undermines the potential for a bloom. envious sigh growing wild?... ohhhh... how I wish I could get this one to bloom... any ideas???
The chocolate lily in the photo is beautiful. You indicated to Litho that you would be interested in exchanging seeds from your cultivar for seeds from a native Alaskan chocolate lily. I would be interested in acquiring seeds from your cultivar also. I have a fair number of fresh chocolate lily seeds from this year's flowers on hand right now. I also have seeds from Meconopsis betonicifolia, the Himalayan blue poppy. Let me know if you are interested in a seed exchange. I sent you an email but don't know if you received it.
Thanks for the praise! I guess it was worth it - laying on my belly in the ferns to get a shot up into the bell...;)
Unfortunately (as mentioned in the above post) no seed set from the self-pollenation attempt this year. However, if I'm more successful next year, I will certainly let you know! Would love to have seeds of the Alaskan variety!
And thanks for the email - got it, but I'm one of the laziest people in the known universe when it comes to prompt replies... Sorry :(
