Toxicoscordion venenosum
Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum, formerly Zigadenus venenosus, Death Camas, Meadow Death Camas, Common Death Camas, Deadly Zigadenus
Contents
Taxonomy
| Toxicoscordion venenosum | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Subkingdom: | Tracheobionta |
| Phylum: | Spermatophyta |
| Subphylum: | Magnoliophyta |
| Class: | Liliopsida |
| Subclass: | Lilidae |
| Order: | Liales |
| Family: | Melanthiaceae |
| Genus: | Toxicoscordion V. |
| Species: | Toxicoscordion venenosum Rydb. |
| Synonyms | |
|
Zigadenus venenosus | |
Description
General: Glabrous perennial herb from an onion-like bulb, the simple stem 2-5 dm. tall. Leaves: Leaves mostly basal, linear, keeled, 1-3 dm. long and 3-6 mm. broad; cauline leaves strongly reduced upward. Flowers: Inflorescence a raceme (but sometimes the raceme branched at the base) up to 1.5 dm. long, the flowers all perfect; perianth white to cream-colored, bell-shaped; tepals 6, slightly unequal, the outer 4.5-5 mm. long, short-clawed, the inner about 0.5 mm. longer with a narrower, slightly longer claw; the gland at the base of each tepal yellowish-green, broader than long; stamens 6, about equal to the tepals; styles 3, distinct, 2-3 mm. long. Fruit: Capsule 8-15 mm. long.
Bloom Period
April-July
Distribution
British Columbia to Baja California, east to the Dakotas; var. venenosum more common west of the Cascades in Washington, var. graminaeum common in Eastern WA.[1]
Habitat
Coastal bluffs and prairies, grassy hillsides, and moister areas of shrub-steppe and open pine woodlands[1]
Uses
Medicinal Uses
Traditionally used as a violent emetic, sometimes mixed with blue flag; poultice of mashed roots applied to rheumatism, boils, bruises, sprains, sore legs, burns, swellings, rattlesnake bites, and broken bones to speed healing; mashed roots sometimes used as an arrow poison
Seed
Basic Explanations and Assumptions:
The dimensions for the seeds are length x width x depth. The location of the hilum is used as the base of the seed, and the length is measured from hilum to the opposite apex. Where a style is present, the length is measured from the hilum to the bottom of the style. Width is measured at a right angle to the length at the widest part. Depth is measured at a right angle to the intersection of height and width lines.
Measurements included are the mean average for each measurement of ten separate seeds.
All measurements in millimeters unless otherwise noted.
References
Photo Gallery
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Hitchcock, C. Leo, Cronquist, Arthur, Giblin, David, Legler, Ben, Zika, Peter F., Olmstead, Richard G., Janish, Jeanne R., Rumely, John H., Shin, Crystal, and Porcino, Natsuko. Flora of the Pacific Northwest : An Illustrated Manual. Second ed. Seattle: U of Washington ; Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, 2018. Print.
