Death Camas (Zigadenus leimanthoides)

Death Camas (Zigadenus leimanthoides), Dolly Sods Wilderness

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Death Camas (Zigadenus leimanthoides)

The Death Camas (Zigadenus leimanthoides) is a member of the liliaceae or lily family. Sometimes known as the Pine Barrens Death Camas from the environment it which it is found, it also goes by Osceola’s plume, crowpoison, or black snakeroot.

This wildflower is a erect perennial growing between 2- and 8-feet tall, arising from a bulb.  As its name implies, the Death Camas is poisonous.  The leaves, which are from 8- to 20-inches in length and 0.16 to 0.5-inches wide, are linear and mostly crowded near the base.  The flower cluster is a branched panicle (single-flowered stalks attached along a common axis).  The terminal panicle is much longer than the few lower spreading ones.  The flowers are stalked, white to greenish white or yellow with 6 oval shaped tepals.  These are very small flowers with the tepals only growing up to 0.2-inches long.  They have a small yellow gland at the base.   The Death Camas flowers from June to August.  It is primarily found on the coastal plain from New York south to Georgia and west to Louisiana.  It is also found in the southern uplands.

Summary

Article Name

Death Camas (Zigadenus leimanthoides)

Description

The Death Camas (Zigadenus leimanthoides) is a member of the liliaceae or lily family. It is a erect perennial growing between 2- and 8-feet

Author

Mark Summerfield

Publisher Name

Mark Summerfield

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