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Fremont's death camas

sheath death camas

Habit Plants 1–8 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, ovoid, 10–40 × 5–40 mm. Plants 4–6 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, narrowly ovoid, 3–6 × 1.5–3 cm.
Stems

with persistent leaf bases proximally.

Leaves

proximal blades 5–50 cm × 2–30 mm.

proximal blades 25–40 cm × 5–12 mm.

Inflorescences

racemose or paniculate, 2–80-flowered, broad, proximal branches 1/3–1/2 as long as entire inflorescence, spreading at 60°–90° angle.

paniculate, 15–30-flowered, with 1–4 branches, 1.5–3 dm × 3–6 cm, proximal branches 7–8 cm.

Flowers

perianth hypogynous, rotate, 15–25 mm diam.;

tepals persistent in fruit, cream colored, 5–15 × 2–6 mm, outer very short clawed, inner distinctly clawed 2 mm;

gland 1, obovate, distal margins evident, dentate;

filaments straight, shorter than tepals, thickened proximally;

pedicel ascending in flower to perpendicular to stem in fruit, 10–50 mm, bracts green, somewhat falcate, 5–50 mm.

perianth perigynous, rotate to rotate-campanulate, 10–15 mm diam.;

tepals white, ovate, 3–6 × 3–4 mm, somewhat narrowed at base, apex broadly rounded;

gland 1, obcordate, thick;

pedicel ascending at anthesis, 1–1.5 cm, bracts often streaked with purple, ovate, 3–6 mm.

Capsules

8–30 × 4–11 mm.

narrowly conic, 7–8 mm.

2n

= 22.

= 32.

Zigadenus fremontii

Zigadenus vaginatus

Phenology Flowering Feb–Jun. Flowering Aug.
Habitat Coastal and inland, central valley grassland chaparral, mixed evergreen forests Wet sandstone ledges of canyons, “hanging garden” community
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) 1100–1900 m (3600–6200 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CO; UT
[WildflowerSearch map]
Discussion

Of conservation concern.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 85. FNA vol. 26, p. 87.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Zigadenus Liliaceae > Zigadenus
Sibling taxa
Z. brevibracteatus, Z. densus, Z. elegans, Z. exaltatus, Z. fontanus, Z. glaberrimus, Z. micranthus, Z. mogollonensis, Z. nuttallii, Z. paniculatus, Z. vaginatus, Z. venenosus, Z. virescens
Z. brevibracteatus, Z. densus, Z. elegans, Z. exaltatus, Z. fontanus, Z. fremontii, Z. glaberrimus, Z. micranthus, Z. mogollonensis, Z. nuttallii, Z. paniculatus, Z. venenosus, Z. virescens
Synonyms Anticlea fremontii, Toxicoscordion fremontii, Toxicoscordion fremontii var. minor, Z. fremontii var. inezianus, Z. fremontii var. salsus Anticlea vaginata
Name authority (Torrey) Torrey ex S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 343. (1871) (Rydberg) J. F. Macbride: Contr. Gray Herb. 53: 4. (1918)
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