| Chocolate Lily |
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(Aka Fritillaria affinis | Checker Lily)
A rare perennial herb that is found in various places on Savary, e.g., the Meadows. They bloom for a short time in the early spring. If you find one, don't try to transplant it. It probably won't survive.  Notes 1. For a complete and detailed description of this herb, click here. 2. According to Liz Webster: “In May, the Meadow and south shores of Savary blossom with two lilies, the Chocolate lily and the Meadow death camas. These two usually arrive together and provide a lovely visual contrast. The Chocolate lily (Fritillaria lanceolata) is a beautiful brown to almost-purple flower with a head that nods as if bowing to the earth. Its bitter tasting rice-like bulbs were food for First Nations peoples for generations. They bloom for a short time in early spring, so if you get to see one you are lucky. Never pick or try to transplant them — native seeds may be purchased for planting." (Source: SILTS newsletter Summer 2004) 3. According to Plants of Coastal British Columbia, the plant's bulbs were steamed in pits or boiled in pots and eaten by the Coast Salish and Straits Salish peoples. |
| Categories: herbs flora |
