DEATH CAMAS
(Zigadenus elegans - Lily Family)
POISONOUS - see below
History:
"Zigadenus" combines the Greek words "zugon" for yoke and "aden" for gland referring to the paired glands of certain flowers. "Elegans" means elegant.
Description:
This plant is 1-2 feet tall and has grass-like leaves which are located towards the base of the stem. The flowers are cream or greenish-white, bow-shaped, and are arranged in a branched flower cluster.
Habitat:
Found in meadows, stream banks and woods in moist soil. They bloom in June and July.
Comments:
This plant contains an alkaloid and the entire plant is poisonous to both man and livestock.
It is difficult to distinguish the bulb and leaves of the Death Camas from that of other edible bulbs such as onions, sego lilies, yellowbells, and the edible Camas used as a staple food by the Indians. Occasionally, Indians would mistake the bulb of these two Camas since they grow together in meadows. A mistake that would result in death. Sometimes when digging those bulbs, the plant above ground would beak away from the bulb below. If the Camas plants were growing in close proximity it would be risky to use the unattached bulbs not knowing whether it belonged to the edible or the poisonous Camas.
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