You could try the Ontario Rock Garden Society Germination Info. Or the Scottish Rock Garden Club, and I think there is also a Fritillaria Group within the SRGC too.

Rick

I grow both Dryas drummondi and Dryas octopetalata in our zone 3 garden. They germinate quite readily. Cut off the 'feathery' part and plant the seed just below the surface in a mixure of 2 parts sand, one part small gravel and one part potting soil. Put them in a small pot or container and cover with a mesh or fine screening of some type so they won't be disturbed. Give them a bit of water and place pot outside (put pot in shade when it gets over 80f). About the beginning of October put them in your freezer if you're not getting hard frosts. Then put them outside once winter comes. Don't let them get too wet unless the water can drain away. After they germinate and you get a leaf give them some water until about mid June then be stingy with watering. Only a bit for the rest of next year. In the second season the dryas will suddenly 'take off' and cover a couple square feet. Don't worry if you get some crispy 'dieback' now and then. If you cut back the dieback and put some sand and small gravel down they will quickly repopulate the empty areas. They will spread as far as you let them given the right ground surface but don't get out of hand as they can be snipped to whatever size you want. There is the odd rhizome that will travel a couple feet away but these are easy to pull up.

The only thing I haven't figured out is the flowering. On both species I have masses of flowers on some parts of the colony and few elsewhere. I've never figured out a pattern.

alpiner,
I was just noticing a couple of weekends ago, while driving along the Spray Lake Road (when the clouds of dust cleared enough to see anything!), that the mats of Dryas drummondii in the road ditch had old flower stalks/seedheads in a band along the edges of the mat...seemed like the centers had ceased blooming in those particular colonies. The mats along the Little Elbow River yesterday, though, were sometimes entirely covered in old flower stalks - they probably get wiped out/rejuvenated occasionally by flooding. So, I would guess that age of the mat may be a factor, but it's probably just one of many. The Dryas octopetala up on the ridge seemed much less floriferous in general (and much smaller mats), but with flower stalks (some still in bloom) situated "randomly" anywhere within the mat...interesting.

Coincidence. Yesterday we were also out in the Little Elbow area and then took Powderface Trail the 35 kms up to Sibbald Flats. We stop along the way and look at the wilfflowers, insects, etc.

We always get out and have lunch where Powderface crosses Canyon Creek. Yesterday there were 3 types of gentians in bloom...lots of Golden saxifrage, Paintbrush, fireweed,larkspurs, parnassus, twinflowers, etc.

You may be right about the dryads. Another factor might be dryads acting a bit like mats of saxifrages. They die out in the middle or older fringes and then new plants spread to where the old wood was. It isn't always the same plant but new seeds.
The next time you get to the actual toe of a receding glacier look at the ground. It's absolutely amazing how the ground will be colonized by dryads. One can almost judge how much a glacier has receded over the summer by how much lifeless gravel there is between between the ice and the dryad mats.

As for flower numbers. Our yellow dryads are much more prolific than the white but the white will have the occasional bloom throughout the season..even more if the flowers are deadheaded before they go to seed. I don't deadhead the drummondis as the seedhead is the best part. We always say they stand up like little mountain elves wearing swanky caps.

Hi, re the Frit, seed should be sown early autumn. Try and keep them cool and growing for as long as possible...standard bulb advice. I don't know if that species needs to be stratified, I haven't with the various species I've tried here.The Frit group is part of the AGS.

Here is a link that might be useful: Frit Group

I'm a little late with help on F. camschatcensis. You might have problems with culture in S. Dakota unless you can find a shaded, moist location to plant it, rich in organic matter to hold moisture. F. Camschatcensis is one of only a couple frits that need to be moist year round. I would sow in shredded peat or seed starting mix for it's moisture retentive properties, sow in late August or early September optimally. Leave the pots outside in the weather over winter and let mother nature have at 'em as long as you can keep them damp through any warm spells. In the spring plunge them in a damp location so that they can stay in water, and keep them protected from scorching sun and heat. Good Luck.
Clay
Cordova, Alaska

I can only tell you about F. agrestis, F. glauca and F. raddeana: Sow in pots of damp seed starting mix, set outside over the winter in a protected place, and watch for thin chive-like shoots come mid to late spring. Then hope/make sure that they don't get too dried out that summer (leave them in the pots), and maybe the following year they will be big enough to plant. That's the part that is hard--waiting until they are big enough to go out in the garden.