Snake's Head Fritillaries

On the same plant hunting expedition as the bluebells mentioned yesterday, I spotted these snake's head fritillaries, or Fritillaria melagris (See also the wild garlic, or ramsons, in the picture)

probably one of my favourite flowers of all. I'd like to a say favourite wildflower too but, being personally acquainted with the gardener who planted these, I can't claim these as wild. In fact, I don't think I've ever seen one growing 'properly' wild, or in a a situation where they haven't been deliberately introduced. 

I was also going to say about how the 'snake's head' part of their name comes from their chequered pattern, being like a chequerboard or possibly a dice but the ten minute search on google of anything to back up this claim proved fruitless and, ya know, I've got other things to do today apart from blog about flowers.

So yeah, getting to the point, fritillaries were once prolific on meadows across the country and growing happily up in Sweden and Siberia. Now rare, due to these meadows being 'improved' as pasture with nitrate fertilisers, which is great for grazing cattle and horses but not great at all for biodiversity.  Therefore, when you see them now, they've probably been reintroduced as a very pretty addition to a wild looking lawn.

More info (no, seriously, don't take my word for anything):

http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/plants-fungi/fritillaria-meleagris-snake’s-head-fritillary

https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/details?plantid=814

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/gardening/article-1259182/MONTY-DON-A-soggy-spring-drown-tulips-crocuses-daffodils-magnificent-snakeshead-fritillary-thrive-it.html