Zigadenus venenosus
grass-leaf death-camas, meadow death-camas
proximal blades 12–50 cm × 2–10 mm.
racemose or paniculate with 1 or 2 basal branches, 10–50-flowered, terminal raceme pyramidal in anthesis, 2–20 × 2–5 cm, branches (if any) 1/10–1/3 length of entire inflorescence, diverging from main axis at 10°–60° when in fruit.
perianth hypogynous, campanulate, 5–10 mm diam.;
tepals persistent in fruit, cream colored, 2–5 × 1–3 mm, outer often clawed, apex usually acute;
gland 1, obovate, distal margins evident to obscure, irregular;
filaments straight, usually equaling tepals, occasionally longer, thickened proximally;
pedicel usually ascending in fruit, occasionally perpendicular to stem, 3–25 mm, bracts usually green, sometimes white, 5–25 mm.
8–20 × 4–7 mm.
= 22.
Zigadenus venenosus
Varieties 2 (2 in the flora).
Zigadenus venenosus is a smaller, more slender plant than either Z. paniculatus or Z. fontanus. It can be distinguished from Z. micranthus by its ascending pedicels. It has a much broader distribution than either Z. micranthus or Z. fontanus, and does not occur on serpentine substrates.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Outer tepals usually clawed ca. 5 mm; inflorescences mostly racemose, occasionally paniculate with 1 basal branch. | var. venenosus |
1. Outer tepals not clawed, or clawed less than 5 mm; inflorescences mostly paniculate with 1–2 basal branches, occasionally racemose. | var. gramineus |
BC
CalFlora
PNW Herbaria
Turner Photog.
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
