Plant from the lily family, genus Fritillaria. Found in mountain areas in Northern Eurasia and the northwest parts of North America. Blooms in the summer. The flowers are dark purple, about 3 cm in diameter and shaped like hanging bells. The bulbs are edible. Among the Ainu people where the flowers and leaves are used for dyes, tradition says that if you place a flower next to your loved one and they pick it up, your love will be reciprocated. On the other hand, in the Warring States period, when Toyama Castle's Sasa Narimasa's lady-in-waiting Sayuri was murdered, she left behind a curse: "When the black lilies bloom on Mt. Tate, the House of Sasa will be destroyed." It is said that Narimasa later performed seppuku after being sent black lilies by Lady Yodogimi. Because of that, it's also known as a flower that can bring a clan to discord and oblivion. In the language of flowers it stands both for love and a curse.