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mountain death camas, zigadène élégant

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

Phenology Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat Moist grasslands, river and lake shores, bogs in coniferous forests
Elevation 0–3600 m (0–11800 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
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
Z. brevibracteatus, Z. densus, Z. exaltatus, Z. fontanus, Z. fremontii, Z. glaberrimus, Z. micranthus, Z. mogollonensis, Z. nuttallii, Z. paniculatus, Z. vaginatus, Z. venenosus, Z. virescens
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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