A member of the Liliaceae (lily family), the genus Fritillaria contains approximately 100 bulbous species from temperate Europe, Asia and North America, where they grow in meadows, woodland, rocky zones and high screes. Fritillaria sewerzowii occurs in scrub and mountain slopes of temperate Asia, at altitudes between 1000 and 3000m. In cultivation it requires sharp drainage and protection from rain. It is a variable species growing to 30cm tall and having grey-green foliage and racemes of greenish-yellow to purple-brown flowers, which are bell-shaped and flared at the base.