''Zigadenus'' is a genus of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s now containing only one species, ''Zigadenus glaberrimus'', the sandbog death camas, found in the southeastern United States from

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref>Biota of North America Program 2013 county distribution map
/ref> Around 20 species were formerly included in the genus, but have now been moved to other genera.

Description

''Zigadenus glaberrimus'' generally grows to a height of . A total of 30–70 flowers are borne in panicles. Each white to cream colored flower is bell-shaped, across. The tepals of the flower remain attached to the fruit capsule when it forms. The cone shaped seed capsules are long by across. ''Zigadenus glaberrimus'' flowers from mid July to September. It is found growing in pine bogs, savannas and sandy pinelands in the US states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Systematics

The genus is a member of the family

Melanthiaceae Melanthiaceae, also called the bunchflower family, is a family of flowering herbaceous perennial plants native to the Northern Hemisphere. Along with many other lilioid monocots, early authors considered members of this family to belong to 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 '' Zi ...

. Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have resulted in number of changes to placements within this tribe. (See also Phylogeny of Melanthieae.)

Species formerly placed in ''Zigadenus''

Around twenty species were included in the genus as it was previously circumscribed. ''Zigadenus glaberrimus'', sandbog deathcamas, is the only species remaining in the genus. Species which have been transferred to other genera are listed below. *'' Amianthium muscitotoxum'' – flypoison *''

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. ...

'' – elegant camas, alkali grass, mountain deathcamas *'' Anticlea hintoniorum'' *'' Anticlea mogollonensis'' – Mogollon deathcamas *'' Anticlea neglecta'' *'' Anticlea sibirica'' *'' Anticlea vaginata'' – sheathed deathcamas *'' Anticlea virescens'' – green deathcamas *'' Anticlea volcanica'' – lava deathcamas *''

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 treate ...

'' – Osceola's plume, black snakeroot, crow poison *'' Stenanthium gramineum'' – featherbells *'' Stenanthium leimanthoides'' – pinebarren deathcamas *''

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 *''

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 Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in th ...

'' – giant deathcamas *''

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 *''

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) *''

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 *''

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, sand-corn *''

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 ...

'' – deathcamas, meadow deathcamas – (several varieties) *''

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

Toxicity

Like all the species previously included in this genus, all parts of ''Z. glaberrimus'' are toxic, due to the presence of

alkaloid Alkaloids are a class of basic, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. This group also includes some related compounds with neutral and even weakly acidic properties. Some synthetic compounds of similar ...

s such as zygacine. Grazing animals, such as sheep and cattle, may be affected and this or related species have caused human fatalities.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2707469 Melanthiaceae Monotypic Liliales genera Flora of the Southeastern United States