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Nuttall's death camas

green death camas

Habit Plants 3–7.5 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, ovoid, 15–40 × 9–35 mm. Plants 3.5–8.5 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, narrowly ovoid, 3–5 × 1–1.5 cm.
Leaves

proximal blades 15–45 cm × 3–15 mm.

proximal blades 25–45 cm × 3–20 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.

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

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.

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

8–16 × 3–8 mm.

narrowly conic, 10–20 mm.

2n

= 32.

= 32.

Zigadenus nuttallii

Zigadenus virescens

Phenology Flowering Mar–Jun. Flowering Jul–Aug.
Habitat Tallgrass prairie, calcareous glades, rocky hillsides Montane coniferous forests
Elevation 500–1200 m (1600–3900 ft) 1000–3200 m (3300–10500 ft)
Distribution
from FNA
AR; KS; MO; OK; TX
[WildflowerSearch map]
from FNA
AZ; CO; NM; s Mexico
[WildflowerSearch map]
Source FNA vol. 26, p. 86. FNA vol. 26, p. 87.
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. exaltatus, Z. fontanus, Z. fremontii, Z. glaberrimus, Z. micranthus, Z. mogollonensis, Z. nuttallii, Z. paniculatus, Z. vaginatus, Z. venenosus
Synonyms Amianthium nuttallii, Toxicoscordion nuttallii, Toxicoscordion texense, Z. texensis Helonias virescens, Anticlea mexicana, Anticlea virescens, Z. mexicanus, Z. porrifolius, Z. virescens var. porrifolius
Name authority (A. Gray) S. Watson: Botany (Fortieth Parallel), 343. (1871) (Kunth) J. F. Macbride: Contr. Gray Herb. 53: 4. (1918)
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