Common Name:

General Information

Fritillaria usuriensis is a perennial plant growing from a bulb around 10 - 15mm in diameter and comprising of two scales usually with a few bulbels around them; the flowering stem is around 50 - 60cm tall, occasionally to 100cm[].
The plant is cultivated for its bulbs in China, where they are used medicinally[]. It is one of several species that are used as a source of the Traditional Chinese Medicine 'Chuan Bei Mu', which is primarily obtained from Fritillaria cirrhosa[].
Fritillaria usuriensis is classified as 'Vulnerable' in the wild(2013)[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - Russian Far East (Primorye), northeast Russia, North Korea

Habitat

Forests, thickets, meadows, streamsides, shady and moist places; at elevations from near sea level to 500 metres[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Vulnerable
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	0.60 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Fritillaria usuriensis is a plant of the temperate zone, growing in an area with cool summers and summer rainfall plus dry winters that can be cool or cold. Plants dislike high winter rainfall.
Grows best in a well-drained, humus-rich soil and a position under the protective shade of shrubs or deciduous trees.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bulbs are used medicinally[].

In view of its antiasthmatic, expectorant and antitussive actions, the bulb is utilized as both a food and a medication. It is scattered all through the Northeast areas of China, including Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jiling areas. It is also used for treating swollen throat and lung diseases in Chinese medication[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as ripe in a well-drained, sandy or gritty soil in a cold frame, it should germinate in the spring[]. Protect from frost[]. Stored seed should be sown as soon as possible and can take a year or more to germinate[]. Sow the seed quite thinly to avoid the need to prick out the seedlings. Once they have germinated, give them an occasional liquid feed to ensure that they do not suffer mineral deficiency. Once they die down at the end of their second growing season, divide up the small bulbs, planting 2 - 3 to an 8cm deep pot. Grow them on for at least another year in light shade in the greenhouse before planting them out whilst dormant.
Division of offsets in August[]. The larger bulbs can be planted out direct into their permanent positions, but it is best to pot up the smaller bulbs and grow them on in a cold frame for a year before planting them out in the autumn.
Bulb scales[].