Ecology & distribution
Wild Snake's Head Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris) is a key species of the Snakes Head Fritillary association and occurs in moderately nutrient-rich grasslands with Alopecurus pratensis. This association grows mainly in floodplains where peat formation has taken place on top of a clay layer and where this package has been cut by a river. Wild Snake’s Head fritillary grows especially in those places where the competition of Alopecurus pratensis is less due to flooding. At Zwolle (Zwarte Water) the plant grew so numerous that the flowers were sold in scents. The species was previously not seen as a wild plant, but the natural location in floodplains is an argument against naturalization. Decline is mainly caused by the expansion of cities and business parks, as a result of which locations are lost. Other reasons are dewatering, fertilization and grazing. It takes eight years for the plant to flower from seed, which partly determines the vulnerability. The seeds float and are therefore dependent on periodic flooding for distribution.
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