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Nuttall's death camas

giant death camas

Habit Plants 3–7.5 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, ovoid, 15–40 × 9–35 mm. Plants 3–10 dm, from bulbs; bulbs often clumped, tunicate, ovoid, 20–60 × 18–50 mm.
Leaves

proximal blades 15–45 cm × 3–15 mm.

proximal blades 18–60 cm × 3–25 mm.

Inflorescences

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.

paniculate, 10–80-flowered, with 2–10 branches, 3–40 × 2–8 cm.

Flowers

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.

perianth hypogynous, 12–20 mm diam.;

tepals persistent in fruit, cream colored, elliptic to ovate, 5–10 × 2–4 mm, outer not clawed, often persistently reflexed below mature capsule;

gland 1, obovate, distal margins evident, dentate;

filaments straight, shorter than tepals, thickened proximally;

pedicel ascending in flower, perpendicular to stem in fruit, 10–35 mm, bracts green and foliaceous to white and membranous, 3–25 mm.

Capsules

8–16 × 3–8 mm.

9–20 × 4–9 mm.

2n

= 32.

= 22.

Zigadenus nuttallii

Zigadenus exaltatus

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Tallgrass prairie, calcareous glades, rocky hillsides Sierra Nevada foothill woodlands, yellow pine forests
Elevation 500–1200 m (1600–3900 ft) 0–1200 m (0–3900 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; KS; MO; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
CA
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 86. FNA vol. 26, p. 86.
Parent taxa Liliaceae > Zigadenus Liliaceae > Zigadenus
Sibling taxa
Z. brevibracteatus, Z. densus, Z. elegans, Z. exaltatus, Z. fontanus, Z. fremontii, Z. glaberrimus, Z. micranthus, Z. mogollonensis, Z. paniculatus, Z. vaginatus, Z. venenosus, Z. virescens
Z. brevibracteatus, Z. densus, Z. elegans, Z. fontanus, Z. fremontii, Z. glaberrimus, Z. micranthus, Z. mogollonensis, Z. nuttallii, Z. paniculatus, Z. vaginatus, Z. venenosus, Z. virescens
Synonyms Amianthium nuttallii, Toxicoscordion nuttallii, Toxicoscordion texense, Z. texensis Toxicoscordion exaltatum
Name authority (A. Gray) S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 343. (1871) Eastwood: Bot. Gaz. 41: 283. (1906)
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