Liliaceae

Zigadenus venenosus

Meadow Death Camas

Stem erect, shiny. Basal leaves 4–15 in. long, narrow, edged with stiff hairs. Cream flowers in spike on ascending stalks; petals with narrow base, rounded tip, marked by yellowish rounded gland; stamens longer than petals. Grows in spring-wet meadows, hillsides, at low to high elevations. Poisonous. Var. gramineus has stem leaves wrapping around stem. Var. venenosus has stem leaves that do not wrap around stem. Some members of the Lewis and Clark expedition became ill from eating this bulb.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time:
• Life Cycle: Perennial
• Height: 6--18 inches
• Habitat: Vernal Wet, Meadow
• Found In: Olympic Np, Mt. Rainier Np, N Cascades Np, Wallowas, Steens, Siskiyous, West Gorge, East Gorge, Great Basin, Columbia Basin
• Native: Yes