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Anticlea elegans.
Synonym:
Zigadenus elegans.
(Death Camas) Synonym: Melanthiaceae (False Hellebore Family). Liliaceae (Lily Family). Subalpine. Meadows,
openings. Spring. This lovely plant is abundant in our area, primarily at higher elevations. Both Anticlea elegans and its very similar looking foothills cousin, Toxicoscordion venenosum, have beautifully airy and symmetrically arching leaves and a long stalk with abundant star-like flowers. Both are very noticeable and very attractive plants. Both are quite poisonous. "Anticlea" was the mother of Ulysses and "elegans" is Latin for "elegant". Meriwether Lewis collected the first specimen of this plant in July of 1806 near Lewis and Clark Pass, Montana. The plant was named Zigadenus elegans and described by Frederick Pursh in his Flora Americana, 1814. It was renamed Anticlea elegans by Per Rydberg in 1903. |
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Anticlea elegans.
Synonym:
Zigadenus elegans.
(Death Camas) Synonym: Melanthiaceae (False Hellebore Family). Liliaceae (Lily Family). Subalpine. Meadows,
openings. Spring. |
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Anticlea elegans.
Synonym:
Zigadenus elegans.
(Death Camas) Synonym: Melanthiaceae (False Hellebore Family). Liliaceae (Lily Family). Subalpine. Meadows,
openings. Spring. In both species shown on this page there is no separation of petals and sepals; they are combined into what is therefore termed, "tepals". The notched projections at the tip of the tepals are a distinguishing characteristic of Anticlea elegans. |
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Toxicoscordion
venenosum.
Synonym:
Zigadenus venenosus. (Death Camas) Synonym: Melanthiaceae (False Hellebore Family). Liliaceae (Lily Family). Foothills, montane. Woodlands, openings.
Spring. Toxicoscordion venenosum and Anticlea elegans are distinguished primarily by the size, shape, and color of their floral parts, the size of the plant, and by their habitat. Toxicoscordion venenosum grows at lower elevations, is generally a less robust plant, and its flowers are tighter clusters of smaller flowers. Careful examination with a hand lens also shows differences in the structure of both male and female parts of the plants. Sereno Watson named this species Zigadenus venenosus in 1879 from specimens noted throughout the West and collected by him in Utah in 1869. Per Axel Rydberg renamed the plant Toxicoscordion venenosum in 1903. The genus name translates as "toxic garlic". "Venenosum" is Latin for "venom" or "poison". |
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Toxicoscordion venenosum.
Synonym:
Zigadenus venenosus. (Death Camas) Synonym: Melanthiaceae (False Hellebore Family). Liliaceae (Lily Family). Foothills, montane. Woodlands, openings.
Spring. |
