Zigadenus elegans |
Zigadenus nuttallii |
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mountain death camas, zigadène élégant |
Nuttall's death camas |
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Habit | Plants 2–8 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, narrowly ovoid, 1.5–3 × 1–2 cm. | Plants 3–7.5 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, ovoid, 15–40 × 9–35 mm. |
Stems | without persistent leaf bases. |
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Leaves | proximal blades 10–30 cm × 3–15 mm. |
proximal blades 15–45 cm × 3–15 mm. |
Inflorescences | loosely racemose to paniculate, 10–50-flowered, with 1–4 branches, 0.9–2.5 dm × 3–6 cm. |
usually paniculate, 20–60-flowered, with 1–8 branches, narrow, terminal raceme pyramidal in early anthesis, 3–30 × 3–7 cm, proximal branches 1/10–1/2 length of entire inflorescence, ascending at 10°–60° angle. |
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. |
perianth hypogynous, campanulate, 10–15 mm diam.; tepals persistent in fruit, cream colored, ovate, 3–8 × 1–4 mm, outer unclawed or rarely clawed to 5 mm, apex usually obtuse; gland 1, obovate, distal margins obscure, thin; filaments straight, usually equaling tepals, occasionally longer, thickened proximally; pedicel usually ascending in fruit, occasionally perpendicular to stem, 10–35 mm, bracts green, somewhat falcate, 3–20 mm. |
Capsules | narrowly conic, 10–20 mm. |
8–16 × 3–8 mm. |
2n | = 32. |
= 32. |
Zigadenus elegans |
Zigadenus nuttallii |
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Phenology | Flowering Jun–Aug. | Flowering Mar–Jun. |
Habitat | Moist grasslands, river and lake shores, bogs in coniferous forests | Tallgrass prairie, calcareous glades, rocky hillsides |
Elevation | 0–3600 m (0–11800 ft) | 500–1200 m (1600–3900 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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AR; KS; MO; OK; TX
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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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 26. | FNA vol. 26, p. 86. |
Parent taxa | Liliaceae > Zigadenus | 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 | Amianthium nuttallii, Toxicoscordion nuttallii, Toxicoscordion texense, Z. texensis |
Name authority | Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 241. (1814) | (A. Gray) S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 343. (1871) |
Web links |
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