Fritillaria atropurpurea facts for kids
Fritillaria atropurpurea is a type of beautiful wild flower. It's often called the spotted fritillary, purple fritillary, spotted mountainbells, or spotted missionbells. This plant is known for its unique spotted flowers.
Quick facts for kids Fritillaria atropurpurea |
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Fritillaria
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F. atropurpurea
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| Fritillaria atropurpurea Nutt.
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Where the Spotted Fritillary Grows
The spotted fritillary grows naturally in the Western United States. You can often find it under trees, in places where old leaves have fallen and created a rich soil. It likes to grow in mountains, from about 1,000 to 3,200 meters (3,300 to 10,500 feet) high.
This flower is found in many places across North America. It grows from California, Arizona, and New Mexico in the south, all the way north to Oregon and North Dakota. It has the widest range of all fritillary flowers in North America.
What the Spotted Fritillary Looks Like
The stems of the spotted fritillary can grow from 10 to 60 centimeters (4 to 24 inches) tall. They have thin, pointed leaves.
The flower itself hangs downwards, like a bell. Its petals, called tepals, spread out and are about one to two centimeters long. They are usually yellowish or cream-colored, with many dark purple-brown spots. In the middle of the flower, there is a central part called the style. This is surrounded by parts called stamens, which have large yellow tips called anthers.
This flower looks a bit like another plant called Fritillaria pinetorum. However, the spotted fritillary's flowers hang down, while the Fritillaria pinetorum flowers stand straight up.
