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(Fritillaria camschatcensis) The only two brown flowers in Alaska are the Marsh Five Finger and the Chocolate Lily. I chose to write about the Chocolate Lily because of how rare brown flowers are, not only here, but around the world. I also chose it because of its unusual smell. The Lily is a beautiful flower to look at but you will only want to smell it once. Because of its ghastly smell, the Chocolate Lily is also called , Skunk Lily, Dirty Diaper and Outhouse Lily.This plant can grow anywhere from 5 to 18 inches depending on the habitat. Other nicknames for the Chocolate Lily are Indian Rice, Wild Rice, Northern Rice Root, and Rice Lily, due to the fact that it reproduces by tiny rice like bulblets that form around the plant. In the first year the seedlings have one long leaf, then over the next couple of years it forms 1 or 2 more, and then 2 o 3 whorls of six leaves. The flowers bloom in mid-June to mid-July. The flower stems begin at the leaf whorls. What look like six petals are actually three light brown to chocolate brown petals, and three greenish brown sepals. You will find this plant in damp woodlands and open coastal meadows throughout southeastern and south-central Alaska. They can also be found on the Aleutian Chain.
Created by Kailey Copyright 1999 Photos by Verna Pratt, Used with permission,Edited by Kailey |
Chocolate Lily