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Fremont's death camas

green death camas

Habit Plants 1–8 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, ovoid, 10–40 × 5–40 mm. Plants 3.5–8.5 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, narrowly ovoid, 3–5 × 1–1.5 cm.
Leaves

proximal blades 5–50 cm × 2–30 mm.

proximal blades 25–45 cm × 3–20 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.

racemose to paniculate, 15–30-flowered, with 1–4 branches.

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.

nodding;

perianth perigynous, campanulate, 4–8 mm diam.;

tepals greenish, sometimes tinged with purple, ovate, 4–6 × 1.5–3 mm, somewhat narrowed at base, apex narrowly obtuse;

gland 1, obcordate, thick;

pedicel recurved at anthesis, 1.5–2 cm, bracts often tinged with purple or pink, ovate, 5–20 mm.

Capsules

8–30 × 4–11 mm.

narrowly conic, 10–20 mm.

2n

= 22.

= 32.

Zigadenus fremontii

Zigadenus virescens

Phenology Flowering Feb–Jun. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Coastal and inland, central valley grassland chaparral, mixed evergreen forests Montane coniferous forests
Elevation 0–1000 m (0–3300 ft) 1000–3200 m (3300–10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
CA; OR; Mexico (Baja California)
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; s Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
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. vaginatus, Z. venenosus
Synonyms Anticlea fremontii, Toxicoscordion fremontii, Toxicoscordion fremontii var. minor, Z. fremontii var. inezianus, Z. fremontii var. salsus Helonias virescens, Anticlea mexicana, Anticlea virescens, Z. mexicanus, Z. porrifolius, Z. virescens var. porrifolius
Name authority (Torrey) Torrey ex S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 343. (1871) (Kunth) J. F. Macbride: Contr. Gray Herb. 53: 4. (1918)
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