You need to wait til the seed capsule turns brown and splits open, Hambletonman. Then the seed's ripe. If you open the seed capsule and take it when it's still green and try to sow that, it won't grow as it's not ready.

All seed is best sown fresh in my opinion. Fritillaria is supposed to need a period of cold, which can be achieved by sowing the seeds on the surface of moist compost, sprinkle lightly with sand, pop the pot or tray in a plastic bag and put it in the fridge for a few weeks. This process of chilling is called stratification. Take it out and wait - possibly for a long time to see if any germinates. You may need to repeat the stratification process.

The easy way is to let the plants self sow (if you have some already, that is). I did that last year and the area for a couple of metres around the Fritillarias is covered in seedlings. I understand that they'll take about 4 years to get to flowering size.

I agree with Beatties methods except that I don't put them in the fridge. They get plenty of stratification outdoors in a British winter.

And if you do decide on the Fridge method then put them in the Salad compartment not the Freezer bit, they need cold not freezing.