The Crown Imperial of Hakkari

When people think of Hakkari, they think first of high mountains, glaciers and lakes. Yet one of the best known symbols of this landscape is a flower that rarely grows taller than a metre: the crown imperial, known locally as the upside-down tulip, or ters lale. The Hakkari Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism gives the flower its own place in its nature pages, next to the mountains and lakes. This article looks at it from three angles: its botany, its range and season within the province, and its role as a symbol of the city. The aim is to help you know what to look for, and when, in a high-altitude spring landscape.

Where the name comes from

According to the Provincial Directorate, the flower was given its name because its blossoms resemble a tulip but, unlike a tulip, hang downwards. Its scientific name is Fritillaria imperialis, and Linnaeus described it in his Species Plantarum of 1753. The epithet imperialis means 'of the emperor'; the ring of golden flowers at the top of the stem was likened to a crown. That is also the origin of the English name crown imperial. The comparison with the tulip rests on appearance alone: the plant belongs to the genus Fritillaria and is a member of the lily family.

Botanical portrait

The plant grows to about one metre in height. Along the stem it carries glossy, lance-shaped leaves at intervals. At the top there is a prominent whorl of downward-facing flowers, topped by a tuft of small leaves. The wild form is usually orange-red, while cultivated varieties range from red through orange to yellow. At the base of each flower there are six nectaries. They look like dark spots, and each carries a drop of nectar; for anyone who looks closely, this is the most curious detail of the plant.

The plant has a distinctive, sharp odour reminiscent of a fox. Sources note that this smell keeps mice, moles and other small animals away. In the northern hemisphere flowering takes place in late spring. There is a scientific detail about pollination too: the species is adapted to pollination by birds. In Europe, where the plant has been introduced, blue tits, great tits and some warblers have been seen visiting the flowers. This is a rare trait at northern latitudes and makes the plant interesting to botanists. Which birds pollinate it within its native range is not known, so the question remains open even for the plants on Hakkari's slopes.

Not unique to Hakkari, but linked with it

The species has a very wide range. Sources say it grows naturally across a broad belt of Asia, from Turkey through Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to northern India and the Himalayan foothills. The ters lale of Hakkari therefore does not mean that the species grows only here. But a plant does not have to grow in a single place on earth to become the symbol of a city. The official tourism texts show how closely the flower is tied to Hakkari's identity. The Provincial Directorate calls this land the homeland of the ters lale and writes that the flowers decorating its streets can be seen as a symbol of Anatolia as much as of Hakkari.

Where it grows in the province

According to the Directorate's 'Kokla Hakkari' page, the ters lale grows most densely in the provincial centre, in Şemdinli and in Yüksekova. These three places represent different corners of a province that is divided by mountains. The same page also reminds readers that various local plants grow in their natural settings on the Avehark, Berçelan, Mergan, Bala, Cilo and Sat plateaus. The page 'Masalsı Güzellikteki Hakkari Doğası' compares the spaces between the deep valleys to a botanical garden and lists asmin, hyacinth, sosin and narcissus. It adds that this rich flora makes the discovery of new plant species possible. The ters lale is the best known figure in this diversity, but not the only one.

When to look for it

On the flowering season the sources do not fully agree, and that should be said openly. The Provincial Directorate writes that the delicate, showy flowers open in early spring and in autumn. Botanical sources generally give late spring for the northern hemisphere. In Hakkari, which week of the year the flowering falls in depends on altitude, the direction of the slope and when the snow retreats that year. According to the Directorate, snow depth in the mountains reaches about four metres in winter and the ski season lasts at least six months. In a province like this, spring arrives at very different times on the plain and on the high plateau. The safest way to ask about the current state of the flowers is to check the official page of the Hakkari Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism or the governorate's tourism page.

Life beneath the soil

The Provincial Directorate counts the ters lale among the geophytes. A geophyte is a plant that passes the dry or cold season with an underground organ such as a bulb or tuber and sends up new growth in the right season. The page says that thanks to these underground organs the ters lale can be carried alive from its original habitats to other countries and is easy to propagate. That is why its value as an ornamental plant is high. Indeed, the species and a yellow-flowered cultivar have received the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society in Britain. It likes well-drained soil and a sunny site, tolerates drought, and its bulbs are planted in early autumn. Sources also note that the bulb does not like to stay out of the ground for long.

The lesson for visitors is clear: leave any plant you meet in the wild where it is. Lifting a bulb from the soil destroys the plant and prevents next spring's flowers. The best way to take Hakkari's ters lale home with you is to photograph it.

What science says

The ters lale is also of interest to horticulture and the agricultural sciences. In a 2020 issue of the Yüzüncü Yıl University Journal of Agricultural Sciences, 74 genotypes collected from the Lake Van basin were analysed with iPBS retrotransposon markers. According to the abstract, the results show that the genetic diversity among the ters lale genotypes collected in the basin is significant. The study also looked at features such as flower colour, number of flowers and plant height. Still, the fact that the plant is so varied even in a neighbouring basin suggests why the natural populations of this region deserve care.

The flower as a symbol of the city

In the Directorate's account, the ters lale is described as a symbol of modesty and simplicity. That symbolic side fits the flower's appearance: it is splendid, yet its head is always bowed. That you will meet the flower not only on mountain slopes but also in the urban fabric of Hakkari shows that the symbol is a living bond. The flower that decorates the city's streets is a reflection, carried into town, of its natural state on the plateaus. We add no legend or interpretation here and only pass on what the official pages say: the flower is a short summary of the province's nature and identity.

Practical notes for travellers

Because the flower faces down, you get the best photographs from a low angle. As the stem approaches one metre, kneeling or bending down lets you see the six nectar spots beneath the flower. Not touching the plant, not trampling the grass around it and not lingering long next to it is the right behaviour, both for yourself and for the plant. You will notice the sharp smell up close; it is the plant's way of protecting itself.

In Hakkari, entry to some areas may be subject to permits or security arrangements. Access to plateaus and high areas varies with weather, road conditions and season. For that reason, check current information on the official page of the Hakkari Provincial Directorate of Culture and Tourism and on the governorate's tourism page before you go. Take transport, road and access information from these institutions, not from this article.

A closing word

Beside the grand words that introduce Hakkari, the ters lale offers a small and quiet statement. It is one metre tall, its root is a bulb beneath the soil, and its flower is a crown with a bowed head. If the mountains and glaciers speak of the province's severity, this flower shows the gentler side of the same landscape. If your road leads to Hakkari in spring, lower your eyes a little from the summits above and look at the slopes and roadsides.

Sources

• Hakkari İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, Kokla Hakkari, https://hakkari.ktb.gov.tr/TR-353811/kokla-hakkari.html
• Hakkari İl Kültür ve Turizm Müdürlüğü, Masalsı Güzellikteki Hakkari Doğası, https://hakkari.ktb.gov.tr/TR-350024/masalsi-guzellikteki-hakkari-dogasi.html
• Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Tarım Bilimleri Dergisi, Van Gölü Havzasından Toplanan Terslale Genotiplerinde Genetik Farklılığın iPBS Retrotranspozon Markırları ile Belirlenmesi, https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/yyutbd/article/705721
• Wikipedia, Fritillaria imperialis, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fritillaria_imperialis