Common Name:

General Information

Fritillaria yuminensis is a perennial plant growing from a subglobose bulb around 15mm in diameter and comprising of 2 - 3 scales; the flowering stem is around 30 - 50cm tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

E. Asia - western China (Xinjiang)

Habitat

Forest margins, open gravelly slopes; at elevations from 1,700 - 2,800 metres[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	0.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Fritillaria yuminensis is a plant of the temperate zone, growing in areas with cold winters and warm, dry summers. The plants are usually covered with snow in winter, with much of the moisture required for growth coming from the melt water.
This is a difficult plant to grow unless similar conditions to its natural habitat can be provided.

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The bulbs are used medicinally[].
We have no further information, but the bulb is almost certainly used as a form of Bei Mu in Chinese medicine particularly to treat a range of chest complaints, especially associated with coughing, and often combined with various other herbs. Conditions treated would include tuberculosis, coughs, bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma[].

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[].