Himalayan Fritillary

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Himalayan Fritillary
• Yellow Himalayan Fritillary
• Sichuan fritillary

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Fritillaria cirrhosa subsp. roylei
• Lilium bonatii
• Fritillaria cirrhosa var. bonatii
• Melorima cirrhosa
• Fritillaria cirrhosa var. brachyantha
• Baimo cirrhosa
• Fritillaria cirrhosa var. viridiflava
• Fritillaria cirrhosa var. dingriensis
• Fritillaria duilongdeqingensis
• Fritillaria lhiinzeensis
• Fritillaria gulielmi-waldemarii
• Fritillaria roylei
• Fritillaria zhufenensis

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified within the phylum Streptophyta and the class Equisetopsida. Under the subclass Magnoliidae, it is organized into the order Liliales and the family Liliaceae. Finally, it is identified by its specific genus, Fritillaria.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily distributed across several specific regions within the high-altitude landscapes of Asia. In China, its presence is noted in the South-Central and North-Central territories. It also grows extensively within the Qinghai province and the Tibet autonomous region. Furthermore, its natural habitat extends into the East Himalaya region of the Indian Subcontinent. Together, these locations define the unique geographical range of Fritillaria cirrhosa.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Fritillaria cirrhosa is characterized by its specialized adaptation to high-altitude alpine and subalpine environments. This species thrives within a specific vertical distribution, occupying a rigorous ecological niche found at elevations ranging from a minimum of 3000 m AMSL to a maximum of 4900 m AMSL. Within this montane to alpine belt, the plant typically inhabits moist meadows, alpine pastures, and rocky slopes where it must withstand extreme temperature fluctuations, intense ultraviolet radiation, and seasonal snow cover. Its presence is often indicative of well-drained but moist soils, frequently located in proximity to melting snowbanks or alpine seepages that provide the necessary moisture during its critical growing season.

Elevational range max:

4900 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

3000 m AMSL

Life history

The life history of Fritillaria cirrhosa is characterized by its status as a perennial plant, ensuring its long-term survival through repeated seasonal cycles. As a specialized species adapted to specific environmental niches, its growth strategy is classified as a geophtye, meaning it survives unfavorable seasons by retreating into underground storage organs. This life form is further categorized under the broader grouping of crypto-phytes, as the plant protects its vital regenerative structures beneath the soil surface to endure environmental stresses.

Life form :

geophyte

Life form :

cryptophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Fritillaria cirrhosa is characterized by its growth form as a non-woody herb. It functions as an independent organism and is strictly terrestrial in its habitat, rather than being an epiphyte or a parasite. The plant is self-supporting and does not exhibit climbing behavior. In terms of stature, it is a relatively low-growing species with a plant height that ranges from a minimum of 0.15 m to a maximum of 0.5 m, maintaining an average height of approximately 0.325 m.

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.5 m

Plant height mean:

0.325 m

Plant height min:

0.15 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Fritillaria cirrhosa is characterized by distinct morphological variations in its foliage, which plays a critical role in its metabolic processes and environmental adaptation. The leaf structure exhibits a significant range in dimensions, with leaf lengths typically measuring a mean of 8 cm, though they can vary from a minimum of 4 cm to a maximum of 12 cm. Complementing this longitudinal variation, the leaf width is notably narrow, ranging from a minimum of 0.3 cm to a maximum of 0.5 cm. These specific dimensions in leaf length and width suggest a specialized surface-area-to-volume ratio that influences the plant's photosynthetic efficiency and transpiration rates within its native habitat.

Leaf length max:

12 cm

Leaf length mean:

8 cm

Leaf length min:

4 cm

Leaf width max:

0.5 cm

Leaf width min:

0.3 cm

Reproduction

The reproduction cycle of Fritillaria cirrhosa is characterized by a specific flowering period that typically begins in June and concludes in July. During this reproductive phase, the plant produces fruits that exhibit a highly uniform morphology. The fruit dimensions are remarkably consistent, with both the length and the width maintaining a mean, maximum, and minimum value of 1.6 cm. This lack of variance in fruit size suggests a highly stable development pattern, where the fruit length ranges from a minimum of 1.6 cm to a maximum of 1.6 cm, and the fruit width similarly stays constant at 1.6 cm.

Flowering time :

Jun

Flowering time :

Jul

Fruit length max:

1.6 cm

Fruit width max:

1.6 cm

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Fritillaria cirrhosa has 2 reported plant parts identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem.

Leaf

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials
2. Journal of hazardous materials
3. Phytochemistry

Stem

1. Phytochemistry

Chemicals

Fritillaria cirrhosa has 37 reported phytochemicals identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Peimisine, Peimine, Peiminine, Verticine, sipeimine.

Peimisine

1. Fitoterapia
2. Food science & nutrition
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Peimine

1. Food science & nutrition
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Peiminine

1. Food science & nutrition
2. Journal of hazardous materials

Verticine

1. Fitoterapia
2. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences

sipeimine

1. Food science & nutrition
2. Phytochemistry

verticinone

1. Fitoterapia
2. Journal of pharmaceutical sciences

4-Methoxycinnamaldehyde

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

6-BA

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

CD

1. Journal of hazardous materials

D-proline

1. Journal of hazardous materials

Activities

Fritillaria cirrhosa has 6 reported activities identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antitussive, Expectorant, Antibacterial, Antifungal, Antioxidant.

Antitussive

1. Fitoterapia
2. Planta medica
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Expectorant

1. Fitoterapia
2. Planta medica
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Antibacterial

1. Scientific reports

Antifungal

1. Scientific reports

Antioxidant

1. Fitoterapia

Antipyretic

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Conditions

Fritillaria cirrhosa has 16 reported investigations on conditions identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include antitussive, expectorant, respiratory diseases, Heat stress, Throat.

Antitussive

1. Fitoterapia
2. Planta medica
3. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Expectorant

1. Fitoterapia
2. Planta medica

Respiratory diseases

1. Fitoterapia
2. Scientific reports

Heat stress

1. BMC genomics

Throat

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Airway remodeling

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Asthma

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Breast cancer

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Breast carcinoma

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Cancer

1. Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics

Preparations

Fritillaria cirrhosa has 6 reported preparations identified across 4 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include 30 mg/L GA3, Fritillariae Cirrhosae Bulbus, bulb, colchicine solution, cough syrups.

30 mg/l ga3

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Fritillariae cirrhosae bulbus

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica

Bulb

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Colchicine solution

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials

Cough syrups

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Seedling leaves

1. Zhong yao cai = Zhongyaocai = Journal of Chinese medicinal materials