(n)Eurasian checkered lily with pendant flowers usually veined and checkered with purple or maroon on a pale ground and shaped like the bells carried by lepers in medieval times; widely grown as an ornamental, Syn.leper lily, checkered daffodil, Fritillaria meleagris, guinea-hen flower
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English (GCIDE) v.0.53Collaborative International Dictionary (GCIDE)
n. (Bot.) The Guinea-hen flower; -- so called in England because its spotted petals resemble the scales of a snake's head. Dr. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]
Snake's-head iris (Bot.), an iridaceous plant (Hermodactylus tuberosus) of the Mediterranean region. The flowers slightly resemble a serpent's open mouth. [ 1913 Webster ]