Burke: Camassia quamash

	Camassia quamash
	common camas
Habit	Scapose perennial from a deep-seated bulb, the scape 2-7 dm. tall.
Leaves	Leaves several, all basal, 8-20 mm. broad, considerably shorter than the scape.
Flowers	Inflorescence a raceme, many-flowered, 5-30 cm. long; pedicels 10-20 mm. long, spreading, arched or ascending in flower, incurved-erect in fruit; flowers pale to deep blue or violet, somewhat irregular; tepals 6, distinct, 15-35 mm. long and 2-8 mm. broad, narrowed at base, lowest segment curved outward and downward away from the others, all withering separately and exposing the ovary; stamens 6, anthers yellow or blue, style slender, stigmas 3.
Fruit	Capsule ovoid, 3-celled, 1-2.5 cm. long.

	Camassia quamash
Flowering time	April-June
Habitat	Open, moist areas, often where dry by late spring, from lowlands to mid-elevations in the mountains.
Distribution	Widely distributed on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; British Columbia to California, east to Montana and Utah. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	C. cusickii, C. leichtlinii
Subordinate taxa	C. quamash ssp. azurea, C. quamash ssp. breviflora, C. quamash ssp. maxima, C. quamash ssp. quamash
Web links	Local floras: BC, OR, WA Local Web sites: Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Encyclopedia of Life World Flora Online Wikipedia Google Image Search

Camassia quamash

common camas

Habit

Scapose perennial from a deep-seated bulb, the scape 2-7 dm. tall.

Leaves

Leaves several, all basal, 8-20 mm. broad, considerably shorter than the scape.

Flowers

Inflorescence a raceme, many-flowered, 5-30 cm. long;

pedicels 10-20 mm. long, spreading, arched or ascending in flower, incurved-erect in fruit;

flowers pale to deep blue or violet, somewhat irregular;

tepals 6, distinct, 15-35 mm. long and 2-8 mm. broad, narrowed at base, lowest segment curved outward and downward away from the others, all withering separately and exposing the ovary;

stamens 6, anthers yellow or blue, style slender, stigmas 3.

Fruit

Capsule ovoid, 3-celled, 1-2.5 cm. long.