Deathcamas or death camas refers to several species of flowering plant in the tribe
Melanthieae
Melanthieae is a tribe of flowering plants within the family Melanthiaceae. Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have resulted in a large-scale reassignment of many of its species to different genera; in particular the genus ''Ziga ...
. The name alludes to the great similarity of appearance between these toxic plants, which were formerly classified together in the genus ''
Zigadenus
''Zigadenus'' is a genus of flowering plants now containing only one species, ''Zigadenus glaberrimus'', the sandbog death camas, found in the southeastern United States from Mississippi to Virginia. Around 20 species were formerly included in th ...
'', and the edible camases (''
Camassia
''Camassia'' is a genus of plants in the asparagus family native to North America. Common names include camas, quamash, Indian hyacinth, camash, and wild hyacinth.
It grows in the wild in great numbers in moist meadows. They are perennial p ...
''), with which they also often share habitat. Other common names for these plants include deadly zigadene, hog potato and mystery-grass.
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Anticlea elegans
''Anticlea elegans'', formerly ''Zigadenus elegans'', is also known as mountain deathcamas, elegant camas or alkali grass. It is not a grass (though its leaves are grass-like), but belongs to the trillium family (biology), family, Melanthiaceae.
...
'' – Mountain deathcamas
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Anticlea mogollonensis
In Greek mythology, Anticlea or Anticlia (; Ancient Greek: ''Ἀντίκλεια'', literally "without fame") was a queen of Ithaca as the wife of King Laërtes.
Family
Anticlea was the daughter of Autolycus and Amphithea. The divine trickster ...
'' – Mogollon deathcamas
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Anticlea vaginata'' – Sheathed deathcamas
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Anticlea virescens
In Greek mythology, Anticlea or Anticlia (; Ancient Greek: ''Ἀντίκλεια'', literally "without fame") was a queen of Ithaca as the wife of King Laërtes.
Family
Anticlea was the daughter of Autolycus and Amphithea. The divine trickster ...
'' – Green deathcamas
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Anticlea volcanica
''Anticlea volcanica'' is a herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Melanthiaceae natively occurring from central Mexico to Guatemala
Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=n ...
'' – Lava deathcamas
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Stenanthium densum
''Stenanthium densum'' is a poisonous but spectacular monocot wildflower native to pine barrens of the eastern United States. It is known variously as Osceola's plume, crowpoison, or black snakeroot. '' Stenanthium leimanthoides'' is either treat ...
'' – Pinebarren deathcamas
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Toxicoscordion brevibracteatum
''Toxicoscordion brevibracteatum'' (syn. ''Zigadenus brevibracteatus'') is a species of flowering plant known by the common name desert deathcamas. It is native to Baja California, Sonora, and California, where it grows in sandy desert habitat am ...
'' – Desert deathcamas
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Toxicoscordion exaltatum
''Toxicoscordion exaltatum'' the giant deathcamas, is a North American flowering plant in the genus ''Toxicoscordion'', reputed to be deadly poisonous. It is native to California, Oregon, and Nevada, where it can be found in the Sierra Nevada foo ...
'' – Giant deathcamas
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Toxicoscordion fontanum
''Toxicoscordion fontanum,'', common name small-flower death camas, is a rare plant species known only from serpentine marshes in California. It is found primarily in the Coast Ranges from Mendocino County to San Luis Obispo County, with an addi ...
'' – Smallflower deathcamas
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Toxicoscordion fremontii
''Toxicoscordion fremontii'', known as the common star lily or Frémont's deathcamas (after John C. Frémont) or star zigadene, is an attractive wildflower found on grassy or woody slopes, or rocky outcrops, in many lower-lying regions of Califo ...
'' – Fremont's deathcamas, star zigadene - (several varieties)
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Toxicoscordion micranthum
''Toxicoscordion micranthum'', the smallflower deathcamas, is a flowering plant in the genus ''Toxicoscordion''. It is native to Oregon and California, primarily in the Coast Ranges from Douglas County to Napa and Sonoma Counties, with isolat ...
'' – Smallflower deathcamas
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Toxicoscordion nuttallii
''Toxicoscordion nuttallii'' (Nuttall's death camas, death camas, poison camas, poison sego) is a species of poisonous plant native to the south-central part of the United States (Arkansas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana, Mississippi, ...
'' – Nuttall's deathcamas
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Toxicoscordion paniculatum
''Toxicoscordion paniculatum'' is a species of flowering plant known by the common names foothill deathcamas, panicled death-camas, and sand-corn. It is widely distributed across much of the western United States, especially in the mountains and ...
'' – Foothill deathcamas
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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 from New Mexico to Saska ...
'' – Death camas, meadow deathcamas - (several varieties)
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Zigadenus glaberrimus
''Zigadenus'' is a genus of flowering plants now containing only one species, ''Zigadenus glaberrimus'', the sandbog death camas, found in the southeastern United States from Mississippi to Virginia. Around 20 species were formerly included in th ...
'', Sandbog deathcamas
{{Plant common name