Checker Lily
Fritillaria affinis
The Checker Lily is a delicate, long-stemmed herb grown from a small lumpy, brown bulb, which looks like a ball of rice grains. The whorled, lacy leaves sprout near the base of the stems and gradually thin out in both numbers in size closer to the top of the stems, which range from 10-120 centimeters tall. The distinctive draping flowers are yellowish or greenish brown with mottling, either purplish black or purple in color. The checkered flowers are 1-4 centimeters from stem to the tips of the petals, which there are typically six of. This species is highly variable in appearance, so the plant’s size or flower coloring can vary greatly.
Basic Information
Member of the Liliaceae, or lily, family
This plant perennial herb in mild parts of its native range, and annual in harsher climates
Geophytye, which goes into dormancy during dry summers
Habitat
Native to the western North America and north to British Columbia and Idaho
In the California, the checker lily is native to Klamath Ranges, the north coast ranges, Cascade Ranges, north Sierra Nevada foothills, and the San Francisco Bay Area
Found in grassy places, coastal meadows, open oak woods, and coniferous forests in shaded areas
Typically grows at elevations ranging from sea level to 5,000 ft
Ecological Role
Visited by solitary bees, sweat bees, and other insect species that require pollen to feed their developing larvae
Reproduction
Blooms in early-late spring
The fruit is a widely-winged, box-shaped capsule (a dry, multi-chambered fruit that splits open)
When the fruit begins to form, the flower stalk straightens up
Pollinated by insects
Alternative Names
Coast Checker Lily, Chocolate Lily, rice root
Historical Uses
Native people, including the Shuswap, Salish and Okanagon tribes, ate the bulbs boiled, steamed, roasted, or baked in earthen ovens
Additional Information
The checker lily is an incredibly long-lived plant, with individual specimens possibly living for more than a century.
edible, lumpy bulb
Be careful as the bulbs may also be confused with those of the highly toxic death camas / star lilies (Toxicoscordion species)
