Zigadenus elegans |
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mountain death camas, zigadène élégant |
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Habit | Plants 2–8 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, narrowly ovoid, 1.5–3 × 1–2 cm. |
Stems | without persistent leaf bases. |
Leaves | proximal blades 10–30 cm × 3–15 mm. |
Inflorescences | loosely racemose to paniculate, 10–50-flowered, with 1–4 branches, 0.9–2.5 dm × 3–6 cm. |
Flowers | perianth perigynous, rotate to rotate-campanulate, 15–20 mm diam.; tepals persistent in fruit, cream colored to greenish, ovate, 7–12 × 4–5 mm, somewhat narrowed at base; gland 1, obcordate; pedicel erect at anthesis, 1–2.3 cm, bracts often tinged with purple or pink, ovate, 5–20 mm. |
Capsules | narrowly conic, 10–20 mm. |
2n | = 32. |
Zigadenus elegans |
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Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug. |
Habitat | Moist grasslands, river and lake shores, bogs in coniferous forests |
Elevation | 0–3600 m (0–11800 ft) |
Distribution |
AK; AZ; CO; IA; ID; IL; IN; MD; MI; MN; MO; MT; NC; ND; NE; NM; NV; NY; OH; OR; PA; SD; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; WY; AB; BC; MB; NT; ON; QC; SK; YT; Mexico
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Discussion | Zigadenus elegans has been treated previously as comprising two varieties, or two subspecies (W. B. Zomlefer 1997b). The western var. or subsp. elegans tends to be a smaller plant with a raceme or a 1–2-branched panicle and glabrous, sometimes glaucous leaves and stems; while the eastern var. or subsp. glaucus tends to be a larger plant with a paniculate inflorescence and glaucous leaves and stems. Because there is considerable evidence of intergradation between the two entities toward the middle of the range, including overlapping flowering times, they have not been formally distinguished here. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 26. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Zigadenus |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | Anticlea alpina, Anticlea chlorantha, Anticlea coloradensis, Anticlea elegans, Anticlea glauca, Anticlea gracilenta, Anticlea longa, Anticlea mohinorensis, Melanthium glaucum, Z. alpinus, Z. chloranthus, Z. coloradensis, Z. dilatatus, Z. elegans subsp. glaucus, Z. elegans var. glaucus, Z. glaucus, Z. gracilentus, Z. longus, Z. mohinorensis, Z. washakie |
Name authority | Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 241. (1814) |
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