#zigadenus venenosus

[pnwnativeplants]

Andrena astragali also known as the death camas miner’s bee. As the name suggests, it’s been observed to specialize on various species of death camas. (Toxicoscordion) They don’t seem to be strict specialists and have been seen on a small handful other native plants as well. Female depicted on the left and the male on the right.

Zigadenus venenosus or death camas, is easily mistaken for the edible great camas when it’s not in flower. It is extremely toxic as the name suggests.

[uswildflowers]

Zigadenus venenosus

[uswildflowers]

Zigadenus venenosus

[thepoisondiaries]

Death Camas

Death Camas, or Zigadenus venenosus is a flowering plant in the genus Toxicoscordion belonging to the Melanthiaceae. It grows up to 70 cm tall with long, basal, grass-like leaves. The bulbs are oval and look like onions but do not smell like onions. The flowers are cream coloured or white and grow in pointed clusters, flowering between April and July. Death camas occurs in some parts of western North America and can be easily confused with edible onions of genus Allium. They tend to grow in dry meadows and on dry hillsides as well as sagebrush slopes and montane forests. 

All parts of the plant are poisonous. It is dangerous for humans as well as livestock, though some poisoned by it have been treated. Alkaloids are responsible for the plants being poisonous; it has been said that eating rich fish or beef broth, grease, or butter may counteract the poison.