Abstract

To resolve the current taxonomic status of Japanese endemic Fritillaria L., their taxonomic history is retraced. All taxonomic papers are evaluated, together with more recent genetic observations. To determine the wider acceptance of various taxonomic revisions, a range of Floras are also examined. It is evident that articles published in Japanese have not been fully considered by the wider botanical community. Moreover, rivalries between the Tokyo and Kyoto schools of botany and an over-reliance on herbarium material by many authors have undermined the current classification of the Fritillaria ‘japonica group’.