Fritillaria imperialis, the crown imperial, imperial fritillary, Kaiser's crown, or Kurdish tulip, is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, native to a wide stretch of Asia including Turkey, Iran (e.g. Kurdistan), Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern India, and the Himalayan foothills. The common names and the epithet "imperialis", literally "of the emperor", refer to the large circle of golden flowers, reminiscent of an emperor's crown.
Pollination
F. imperialis is a bird-pollinated species, with adaptations for ornithophily by passerine birds. It is not known what species pollinate it in its native range. However, pollination has been observed in its introduced European range, including Eurasian blue tits, great tits, willow warblers, Eurasian blackcap, and garden warblers. This makes it a rare example of ornithophily at northern latitudes. On the other hand, some other bird species nectar rob instead of pollinating, and bumblebees are ineffective pollinators despite visiting the flowers for nectar. and the yellow-flowered 'Maximea Lutea' have both gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Other cultivars in shades of red, yellow and orange, are available.
Like other members of the lily family, F. imperialis is susceptible to depredation by the scarlet lily beetle (Lilioceris lilii).
Gallery
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File:Corona imperial (Fritillaria imperialis), Jardín Botánico, Múnich, Alemania 2012-04-21, DD 01.JPG|Fritillaria imperialis in botanic garden, Germany
File:Red Flower 777.jpg|'Rubra Maxima'
File:Fritillaria imperialis1.JPG|Kurdistan, Iran
File:Fritillaria imperialis2.JPG|Kurdistan, Iran
File:Fritillaria imperialis3.JPG|Kurdistan, Iran
File:Fritillaria imperialis (Kaiserkrone).JPG|View of the whole plant
File:Crown imperial with tulips at Keukenhof Tulip Garden.jpg|Keukenhof, Lisse, Netherlands
File:2008-04-23 Berlin Schlosspark Charlottenburg Fritillaria imperialis.jpg|Charlottenburg Palace garden
File:Ters lale2.jpg|Fritillaria imperialis in Siirt, Turkey
File:John Edwards020.jpg|Illustration in John Edwards, The British Herbal, 1769
File:Fritillaria Imperialis Iran.jpg|Khansar, Iran. This picture shows the six nectaries, dark spots each with a drop of nectar.
File:لالههای واژگون در کوه دنا.jpg|alt=Fritillaria imperialis in Dena, Iran II|Fritillaria imperialis in Dena, Iran
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