Fritillaria Meleagris

This one has opened further than the expected fritillary shape :-(
But, it's been a busy day and promises to be an even busier weekend!
I'll catch up with the lovely blips of others as soon as I'm able!
Birthdays/families and other lovliness mean I might well be back-blipping for a week or so!
(Oo - Withdrawl symptoms already though *twitch*).

The Snake's Head Fritillary, county flower of Oxfordshire,
is one of the most beautiful and rare water meadow plants.
In Latin, the name refers to both a dice-box (fritillus)
and the turkey family (meleagris) in view of the speckled
appearance of their feathers.
The flowers are also known as 'Leper's Lily' owing to their
shape being reminiscent of the bells carried by lepers in
medieval times.
Meadows at Magdelen College and Ducklington
in Oxfordshire are two of the best locations to find this flower.
The village of Ducklington celebrates Fritillary Sunday
each year in April. As well as fund-raising activities
for the Church, visitors are invited to walk (or lie. Some do!)
amongst the flowers.
In symbolism these six-petalled, cup-shaped flowers
represent the feminine, and passive, principle. The bud
reminds us of potentiality and the flower symbolizes
the fragile quality of childhood and the evanescence of life.