Definition

Noun 1. A common name for the plant Fritillaria affinis, a perennial herb native to northwestern America, characterized by its distinctive bell-shaped flowers that are typically checkered or mottled with shades of green and purple/brown. 2. A common name for the plant Fritillaria biflora, a perennial herb native to southwestern United States (particularly California), characterized by its dark purple, bell-shaped flowers often mottled with green.

Usage Notes

• "Mission bells" is primarily used as a colloquial or common name in botany, gardening, and natural history to refer to specific species of fritillaria plants. It is not a formal taxonomic term.
• The name evokes the shape of the plant's flowers, which resemble small, hanging bells, and its historical association with regions containing Spanish missions.

Examples

• Noun:
  • In the coastal prairies, you can find mission bells blooming in the spring.
  • The garden was planted with native species like poppies and mission bells.
  • The mission bells (Fritillaria affinis) are also sometimes called "checker lily" due to their patterned petals.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used poetically or descriptively to evoke the visual image of the flower or the cultural landscape of the American West.
  • The hillside was dotted with the silent mission bells of the fritillaria.

Variants and Related Words

• Checker lily: A common synonym for , referring to the checkered pattern on its flowers.
• Chocolate lily: Another common name for some species, referring to the flower's color and sometimes its scent.
• Fritillaria: The formal genus name for this group of plants, which includes many species with bell-shaped, often patterned flowers.

Synonyms

• Checker lily (for )
• Fritillary (a general term for plants in the genus )

Different Meanings

• Mission bell (singular, without 's'): This can refer to an actual bell from a historical Spanish mission.
  • The old mission bell still rings on special occasions.
• The plural form "mission bells" can also refer literally to multiple such architectural bells.
  • The sound of the mission bells echoed across the valley.

Noun

1. herb of northwestern America having green-and-purple bell-shaped flowers
2. herb of southwestern United States having dark purple bell-shaped flowers mottled with green