Death camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum)
Description
Meadow deathcamas is a perennial bulbous native forb in the lily family (liliaceae). The plants are 1 to 2 feet tall with linear grass-like leaves mostly arising below the stem middle. The flowers are born in panicles with flower bearing stems 1/4 to 1 inch in length. The petals are creamy white, 1/4 inch long, with a large gland at the base. The fruit is a capsule which dries and splits at maturity releasing the seed (Welsh et al. 2003). There are approximately 130,000 seeds per pound (Vance 2010). The common name refers to the toxicity of the plant and its similarity in appearance to camas (Camassia quamash). Meadow deathcamas occurs in western North America from Saskatchewan to British Columbia and south to Baja California and New Mexico (USDA NRCS 2014). For current distribution, please consult the Plant Profile page for this species on the PLANTS Web site. Insect pollination is required for seed production in deathcamas (Cane et al 2004; Moldenke 1976). Pollen and nectar of foothills death camas (V. paniculatus) was found to contain the same toxins as are found in the vegetative plant parts. Adults of the generalist solitary bee, Osmia lignaria (Megachilidae), were paralyzed and soon after died when fed biologically relevant doses of deathcamas toxins; larval progeny eating dosed provision masses likewise died. Similarly, pollen of meadow deathcamas shaken into sugar water killed 89% of the bees that fed on it within 16 hours (Hitchcock 1959). This high mortality rate probably explains the absence of the 50+ native bee species from this potential host (Cane et al 2004). The solitary bee, Andrena astragali, is known to use death camas pollen to feed itself and its progeny.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Liliales
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Family: Melanthiaceae
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Genus: Toxicoscordion
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