Differences in flowering and fruiting periods and harvesting of Fritillaria cirrhosa, Fritillaria thunbergii, Bolbostemma paniculatum, and Fritillaria ussuriensis

Fritillaria is a perennial herbaceous plant. According to different producing areas, it can be divided into four categories: Fritillaria cirrhosa, Fritillaria thunbergii, Bolbostemma paniculatum, and Fritillaria ussuriensis. So when do they respectively bloom and bear fruit? When is the best time to harvest? What are the specific differences? Now here is a summary for everyone:

Fritillaria cirrhosa:

It is mainly distributed in Tibet, China, Yunnan and Sichuan, and is also found in Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, Shaanxi and Shanxi, and is also distributed in Nepal. It usually grows in forests, under shrubs, in grasslands or in wetlands such as riverbanks and valleys, or in rock crevices. It blooms from May to July and bears fruit from August to October.

This species is one of the main sources of the medicinal material “Chuanbei”. It is a precious Chinese medicinal herb for moistening the lungs and stopping cough, with a long history of use and is renowned at home and abroad.

The harvesting time varies depending on the climate in different regions. Wild ones are mostly dug in summer and autumn or after the snow melts and before weeds grow. Those cultivated by sowing seeds are dug after the stems and leaves wither in the third year. Those propagated by bulbs and divided bulbs are dug the following year.

Fritillaria thunbergii:

The flowering period is March to April, and the fruiting period is May. Fritillaria thunbergii is a perennial herb. The bulb is hemispherical, 1.5-6 cm in diameter, with 2-3 fleshy scales. The stem is single, upright, cylindrical, 50-80 cm tall. The leaves are sessile; the lower stem leaves are opposite, rarely alternate, narrowly lanceolate to linear, 6-17 cm long and 6-15 mm wide; the middle and upper leaves are often in whorls of 3-5, rarely alternate, with shorter blades and tendril-like tips.

It grows in shaded places on lower-altitude hills or under bamboo forests. Fritillaria thunbergii prefers a mild, humid environment with sufficient sunlight. Root growth requires an air temperature of 7-25°C; root growth is inhibited above 25°C. Seedlings emerge when the average ground temperature reaches 6-7°C. The temperature range for aboveground growth and development is 4-30°C; within this range, growth speed increases as temperature rises. The optimum temperature for flowering is about 22°C. The plant freezes at -3°C, and the top of the plant turns yellow and withered above 30°C. The bulb can expand normally when the ground temperature is 10-25°C, will freeze at -6°C, and will enter dormancy above 25°C.

The harvest period for commercial Fritillaria thunbergii bulbs is early to mid-May. After the aboveground plant parts have completely withered, the Fritillaria in the commercial field can be harvested.

Bolbostemma paniculatum:

Bolbostemma paniculatum is a traditional Chinese medicine name. Aliases: Tubeimu, Dabei Mu (Supplement to the Compendium of Materia Medica), Dikudan, Caobei. The source is the dried tuber of the Cucurbitaceae plant Bolbostemma paniculatum.

Bolbostemma paniculatum is a climbing vine-like herb. It is an irregular block of varying sizes. The surface is light reddish-brown or dark brown, uneven. It is hard in texture, not easy to break, horny in cross-section, with a slight odor and a slightly bitter taste. It prefers a warm and humid climate and is resistant to severe cold. It often grows on hillsides or flat land. It is distributed in Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Gansu, Shandong, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Sichuan and other places.

Fritillaria ussuriensis:

Fritillaria ussuriensis is the dried bulb of the Liliaceae plant Fritillaria ussuriensis. Fritillaria ussuriensis is also known as Pingbei, Beimu, and Pingbei. It is mainly produced in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, as well as Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei and other provinces. It has a relatively long cultivation history, and now many regions have begun to cultivate it, with rather good returns.

From late March to early April, seedlings emerge as soon as the ground thaws, and it blooms in May. When the ground temperature is 2°C-4°C, it begins to send up stems, and when the air temperature is 13°C-16°C, it is already growing vigorously. However, it is not tolerant of high temperatures. If the air temperature exceeds 28°C-30°C and the soil temperature is above 20°C, growth is inhibited, so from late May to June the aboveground parts wither, and the underground bulb enters a dormant state. It remains dormant until mid-to-late August, when it begins to sprout again and starts growing daughter bulbs on the scales. In early to mid-September, daughter bulbs gradually increase, until freezing, when it enters dormancy again. It then turns green and emerges again the following spring.

Fritillaria ussuriensis seeds generally mature in late May or early June, and harvesting can be done in early June when the aboveground parts wither.