Camassia
Camassia angusta
camas, quamash
prairie camas, prairie hyacinth
solitary or clustered, tunicate, ovoid to globose;
tunic black or brown.
sometimes clustered, globose, 1–3 cm diam.
basal, appearing whorled;
blade linear, keeled.
3–11, 2–6 dm × 5–20 mm.
appearing terminal, racemose, bracteate;
bracts sterile or subtending flowers, narrowly lanceolate.
27–87 cm;
sterile bracts 3–19(–28), bracts subtending flowers shorter than or equaling pedicel.
actinomorphic or zygomorphic;
tepals 6, persistent, ± equal in 2 whorls of 3, distinct, violet, blue, or white, each 3–9-veined, lanceolate, ± twisted in drying;
stamens 6;
filaments inserted on receptacles at base of tepals, slender;
anthers versatile, dehiscence introrse;
ovary 3-locular, septal nectaries present, ovules 6–36;
style filiform;
stigma 3-lobed;
pedicel spreading to incurving-erect in fruit.
actinomorphic;
tepals withering separately, sometimes connivent over capsules, light blue to lavender, each 3- or 5-veined, 6–10 × 2.2–3.6 mm;
anthers bright yellow, 1.5–2 mm; fruiting pedicel incurving-erect, 6–12 mm.
capsular, ovoid to ellipsoid or subglobose, dehiscence loculicidal.
deciduous, pale green to light brown, ovoid-ellipsoid, 6–10 mm.
6–36, lustrous black, obpyriform to ovoid-ellipsoid, 2–4 mm.
2–5 per locule.
= 15.
= 30.
Camassia
Camassia angusta
Species 6 (6 in the flora).
Cmassia has been associated with other western North American genera of Liliaceae such as Schoenolirion, Hastingsia, and especially Chlorogalum (F. Speta 1998; M. Pfosser and F. Speta 1999), but recent molecular evidence (D. J. Bogler and B. B. Simpson 1996; M. F. Fay and M. W. Chase 1996) suggests that it may be related instead to the Agavaceae. Furthermore, the bimodal, 2n = 30 karyology of Camassia (A. Fernandez and J. R. Davina 1991) is similar to that of Agavaceae (D. Satô 1935) and not that of Chlorogalum.
Camassia bulbs have been an important food staple for native Americans, especially in the Pacific Northwest (G. R. Downing and L. S. Furniss 1968; N. J. Turner and H. V. Kuhnlein 1983), where bulbs were dug and traded on large encampment meadows. Similarity to the poisonous bulbs of Zigadenus (“death camas”) is a concern where ranges of the two genera overlap. Several Camassia species are cultivated and represent a major horticultural contribution from the native flora.
Variation and intergradation of C. angusta and C. scilloides have been reviewed by T. A. Ranker and A. F. Schnabel (1986), as well as J. A. Steyermark (1961), R. O. Erickson (1941), and F. W. Gould (1942).
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Camassia angusta flowers two to three weeks later than sympatric populations of C. scilloides.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Tepals connivent over capsules after anthesis and deciduous as capsules develop, or withering separately. | → 2 |
1. Tepals mostly withering separately at base of capsules after anthesis, sometimes connivent over capsules, not deciduous. | → 4 |
2. Fruiting pedicels usually incurving-erect (often with capsules closely appressed to raceme axes); flowers actinomorphic or zygomorphic [5 tepals curving upward, the 6th downward; usually (4–)10–35(–58) blooming simultaneously, except on few-flowered individuals]; tepals long-persistent on fruiting racemes. | C. quamash |
2. Fruiting pedicels usually spreading-erect (capsules not appressed to raceme axes); flowers actinomorphic (usually 1–3 blooming simultaneously); tepals connivent over capsules after anthesis, deciduous as capsules develop. | → 3 |
3. Capsules dull green, ovoid to ellipsoid, 10–25 mm; seeds 6–12 per locule; s British Columbia to c California. | C. leichtlinii |
3. Capsules shiny green, subglobose, 5–10 mm; seeds 2–5 per locule; sw Oregon. | C. howellii |
4. Capsules subglobose or ovoid-ellipsoid; e Great Plains to Appalachians and Great Lakes to s United States. | → 5 |
4. Capsules ovoid or ellipsoid; s British Columbia, s Alberta, nw United States. | → 6 |
5. Inflorescences 19–47 cm, with 0–5 sterile bracts; fruiting pedicels mostly spreading-erect; capsules subglobose; flowering earlier than sympatric populations of Camassia angusta. | C. scilloides |
5. Inflorescences 27–87 cm, with 3–28 sterile bracts; fruiting pedicels mostly incurving-erect; capsules ovoid-ellipsoid; flowering later than sympatric populations of Camassia scilloides. | C. angusta |
6. Bulbs usually clustered, ellipsoid, 2–7 cm diam.; leaves rarely fewer than 10, 2–5 cm wide; ne Oregon and adjacent Idaho. | C. cusickii |
6. Bulbs seldom clustered, globose, 1–5 cm diam.; leaves usually fewer than 10, 4–20 mm wide; widespread in Pacific Northwest. | C. quamash |
CA
OR
WA
Flora NW
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
IL Wildflowers
KS Wildflowers
MO Plants
