Toxicoscordion venenosum

Toxicoscordion venenosum, with the common names death camas and meadow death camas, is a species of flowering plants in the genus Toxicoscordion, of the Melanthiaceae family. It is native to western North America.

For other plants named deathcamas, see deathcamas.

Toxicoscordion venenosum
In Kingston Prairie Preserve, near Stayton, Oregon
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Liliales
Family: Melanthiaceae
Genus: Toxicoscordion
Species:
T. venenosum
Binomial name
Toxicoscordion venenosum
(S.Watson) Rydb.[1]
Synonyms[1]
  • Zigadenus venenosus S.Watson
  • Toxicoscordion arenicola A.Heller
  • Zigadenus venenosus var. ambiguus M.E.Jones
  • Zigadenus salinus A.Nelson
  • Toxicoscordion salinum (A.Nelson) R.R.Gates
  • Zigadenus diegoensis Davidson
  • Toxicoscordion gramineum (Rydb.) Rydb., syn of var. gramineum
  • Zigadenus venenosus var. gramineus (Rydb.) O.S.Walsh ex M.Peck, syn of var. gramineum
  • Zygadenus venenosus S.Watson, alternate spelling
  • Zygadenus salinus A.Nelson, alternate spelling
  • Zygadenus diegoensis Davidson, alternate spelling
  • Zygadenus gramineus Rydb., alternate spelling, syn of var. gramineum

The plant is called alapíšaš in Sahaptin,[2] and nupqasaquǂ ("nup-ka-sa-qush") in Ktunaxa.[2]

Description

Toxicoscordion venenosum grows up to 70 cm tall with long, basal, grass-like leaves. The bulbs are oval and look like onions but do not smell like edible onions of the genus Allium.[3]

The flowers are cream coloured or white and grow in pointed clusters, flowering between April and July.

Varieties

Varieties include:[1]

  • Toxicoscordion venenosum var. gramineum (Rydb.) Brasher
  • Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum — a variety or the solo current species classification[4][5]

Distribution

The plant is widespread across much of Western Canada, the Western United States, and northern Baja California (México).[1][6][7][8][9] They tend to grow in dry meadows and on dry hillsides as well as sagebrush slopes and montane forests.[6][10][11]

Toxicity

All parts of the plant are poisonous. It is dangerous for humans as well as livestock. Consumption of 2% to 6% of the body weight of the animal is likely to be fatal.[12][10] Along with other alkaloids, zygacine and other toxic esters of zygadenine are the primary neurotoxic alkaloids contributing to the plant's toxicity. [13]

The plant is visited by a specialist mining bee, Andrena astragali, which is possibly the only bee that can tolerate its toxins.[14]

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References
  1. "Toxicoscordion venenosum", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2012-04-22
  2. "FirstVoices- Ktunaxa words". Retrieved 2012-07-07.
  3. Montana Plant Life: Meadow Death-camas Zigadenus venenosus
  4. Calflora Database: Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum (variety of species)
  5. Jepson: Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum (current species classification)
  6. "Zigadenus venenosus". Flora of North America. efloras.org. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  7. Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map
  8. Tropicos, specimen listing for Zigadenus venenosus S. Watson
  9. Caflora taxon report, University of California, Toxicoscordion venenosum (S. Watson) Rydb. Meadow deathcamas
  10. "Meadow Death-camas". Montana Plant Life. Archived from the original on 2004-08-29. Retrieved 2011-06-12.
  11. Turner, Nancy J. (1997). Food Plants of Interior First Peoples. Victoria, British Columbia: University of British Columbia Press. ISBN 0774806060.
  12. Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System: Zigadenus venenosus Archived 2012-04-02 at the Wayback Machine
  13. Majak, Walter. "Soil moisture influences low larkspur and death camas alkaloid levels". Journal of Range Management Archives. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
  14. Wilson, Joseph S.; Messinger Carril, Olivia J. The bees in your backyard : a guide to North America's bees. Princeton University Press. p. 78. ISBN 9780691160771.
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