''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 ...
to
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>
/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.
Systematics
The genus is a member of the family Melanthiaceae, tribe Melanthieae. Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have resulted in number of changes to placements within this tribe.
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
''Amianthium'' is a North American genus of perennial plants growing from bulbs. It contains the single known species ''Amianthium muscitoxicum'', known in English as fly poison from a literal translation of the Latin epithet ''muscitoxicum'', ...
'' – 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
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 trickste ...
''
*''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
*''Anticlea neglecta
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 trickste ...
''
*'' Anticlea sibirica''
*''Anticlea vaginata
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 ...
'' – sheathed deathcamas
*''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
*''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
*'' Stenanthium densum'' – Osceola's plume, black snakeroot, crow poison
*''Stenanthium gramineum
''Stenanthium'' is a North American genus of flowering plants in the tribe Melanthieae of the family Melanthiaceae.
Featherbells is a common name for plants in this genus.
Taxonomy
Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have result ...
'' – featherbells
*''Stenanthium leimanthoides
''Stenanthium leimanthoides'' is a poisonous monocot wildflower native to acid montane areas of the eastern United States. It is either treated as a separate species to ''Stenanthium densum'' or as a synonym of that species. A common name is pine ...
'' – pinebarren deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion brevibracteatum'' – desert deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion exaltatum'' – giant deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion fontanum'' – smallflower deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion fremontii'' – Fremont's deathcamas, star zigadene – (several varieties)
*'' Toxicoscordion nuttallii'' – Nuttall's deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion paniculatum'' – foothill deathcamas, sand-corn
*'' Toxicoscordion venenosum'' – deathcamas, meadow deathcamas – (several varieties)
*'' Toxicoscordion micranthum'' – 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
Zygacine is a steroidal alkaloid of the genera ''Toxicoscordion'', ''Zigadenus'', ''Stenanthium'' and ''Anticlea'' of the family Melanthiaceae. These plants are commonly known and generally referred to as death camas. Death camas is prevalent t ...
. 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