Zigadenus elegans (Mountain Death Camas)
Also known as: | White Camas |
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Genus: | Zigadenus |
Family: | Melanthiaceae (Trillium) |
Life cycle: | perennial |
Origin: | native |
Habitat: | sun; rich moist prairies and meadows |
Bloom season: | June - August |
Plant height: | 6 to 36 inches |
Wetland Indicator Status: | none |
MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): | |
National distribution (click map to enlarge): |
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Detailed Information
Flower:
The erect flower stalk sometimes forms a single raceme but is more often a branched panicle up to a foot long, of 1-50 creamy white, star-like stalked flowers about ½ inch across. The 6 tepals (petals) are egg shaped, with a thick greenish yellow heart-shaped gland above the base creating a ring around the lighter or green tipped center. The cone-like style in the middle is split into three narrow arching stigmas, surrounded by 6 arching stamens with green to orange tips. Flower stalks up to 1 inch long are accompanied by a short lance shaped papery bract at the base that is often tinged with purple or pink.
Leaves and stems:
Leaves are mostly basal, slender and grass-like, 4 to 12 inches long, ¼ to ½ inch wide, with smooth edges, faint parallel lines, and a keeled midrib on the underside.
The few stem leaves are much shorter, clasping to sheathing, and typically folded lengthwise. The stem and leaves are rigid and hairless, often bluish green from a white waxy coating (glaucous).
Fruit:
Fruit is a 3-parted, oval shaped cone 1/3 to ¾ inch long, often wrapped at the base by the persistent dried tepals.
Notes:
All parts of the Mountain Death Camas plant are poisonous from alkaloids more toxic than strychnine and can sicken livestock. Plants over-winter as a bulb that is very similar to the wild onion and a few settlers learned of its toxicity the hard way. Alkaloid poisoning is a terrible way to die! Formerly known as Anticlea elegans, Zigadenus elegans has recently moved from the Liliaceae (Lily) family to Melanthiaceae (Trillium). Some references list multiple varieties, with var. glaucus in Minnesota, but Flora of North America, our definitive guide, makes no distinction.
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More photos
Photos by K. Chayka taken in Pope County. Photos courtesy Peter M. Dziuk taken in Dakota, Polk and Pope counties.
Comments
Have you seen this plant in Minnesota, or have any other comments about it?
on: 2012-04-07 19:53:32
Thank you for the strict warning about this plant. I found some growing near Litchfield, by the railroad track. They are quite attractive looking. I collected some seeds and they germinated very well.
on: 2014-05-03 10:17:52
Found this plant a couple of years ago. It is the only known site for Washington county so far. Was out on May 2, 2014 and saw this year's sprouts coming up. Plants are on a north facing steep slope.
on: 2015-06-29 21:41:29
I saw this plant yesterday , June 28 in SE MN, beautiful plant, surprised it is poisonous!
on: 2016-06-07 16:26:01
Found about thirty plants along Willow Creek.
on: 2017-06-14 15:33:04
They were dotted here and there for about a mile, on old railroad prairie remnant
on: 2017-06-24 21:03:54
About 50-100 plants in a small opening in a woodlot.
on: 2018-06-15 09:44:45
Mountain Death Camas At Prairie Wetlands Learning Center front walkway.
on: 2020-06-14 21:19:36
on a bluff prairie
on: 2020-06-18 18:24:47
Found an individual of this species in a ditch on June 18 2020, 5 pm
on: 2021-07-08 16:16:06
I spotted this in the northwestern corner of Pennington county in a ditch off highway 1
on: 2022-07-27 17:29:41
Discovered this on a west facing slope in a pasture, still showing signs of remnant prairie, but vastly overwhelmed with Spotted Knapweed. Note, it appears that taxonomy has changed, now the acccepted genus is Anticlea elegans.
on: 2022-07-27 18:21:24
Gabriel, I believe Anticlea is actually an old name that's been resurrected. That's not an uncommon practice in taxonomy.
on: 2022-08-07 04:20:06
Found to have many in backyard and ditches and along the railroad tracks. I took some photos one morning & decided I should look them up, glad I did! I would never have known that it is toxic, I almost added the leaves to my grass bale's for my ducks!
on: 2023-06-25 21:44:16
Saw many of these growing in a ditch along a gravel road next to a crp field.