Fritillaria imperialis, the crown imperial, imperial fritillary, Kaiser's crown, or Kurdish tulip is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, native to a wide stretch from the Anatolian plateau of Turkey, Iraq and Iran (e.g. Kurdistan[2][3][4]) to Afghanistan, Pakistan, Northern India and the Himalayan foothills.

[8] Fritillaria imperialis grows to about 1 m (3 ft) in height, and bears lance-shaped, glossy leaves at intervals along the stem.

[8][9] Owing to its large size, F. imperialis is pollinated by the Eurasian blue tit, which makes it a rare example of ornithophily at northern latitudes.

A few names have been coined for taxa once considered as belonging to Fritillaria imperialis but now regarded as distinct species: The flower has a long and deep connection with the history, religion, mythology and folklore of its native Iran and, as a result, has acquired a wealth of evocative vernacular names, often referencing the pendent form of the blossoms and the tear-like nectar drops borne by the six nectaries.

Likewise, the glistening drops of nectar at the base of each flower are described as the tears which the plant weeps in mourning the departed.