Death Camas Toxicoscordion Venenosum: A Beautiful But Deadly

Table Of Contents

Death Camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum): The Deadly Deceiver of the Pacific Northwest
Melanthiaceae – The family to which The Death Camas Toxicoscordion Venenosum
- Taxonomic Evolution Modern Reclassification
Death Camas Toxicoscordion Venenosum
FAQ About Death Camas Toxicoscordion Venenosum

Death Camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum): The Deadly Deceiver of the Pacific Northwest

Regional Significance in the Pacific Northwest

“Don’t eat white camas” is a common saying in the Pacific Northwest (Willamette Valley). It does not refer to a true member of the genus Camassia. Instead, it points to a native plant with similar bulbs from a different family. Above-ground structures are easy to spot as Toxicoscordion venenosum. People also call this plant Death Camas.

Clarifying the distinction between Camassia and Toxicoscordion

Both Camassia and Toxicoscordion live in the same types of habitats. However, only one of these plants has bulbs with deadly toxins.

Recognizing foliage, flowers, and seasonal

Before Native Peoples could safely harvest bulbs in North America, they needed to remove Toxicoscordion venenosum. This had to be done in the spring, before the flowers and fruit faded and the bloom white could be told apart.

Toxicoscordion venenosum flowering Black Hills, South Dakota, USA

Melanthiaceae – The family to which The Death Camas Toxicoscordion Venenosum

The herbaceous plant family Melanthiaceae exists throughout the northern half of the world. The quick-flowering plants exhibit their dynamic sepals and petals for people to recognize.

Taxonomic Evolution Modern Reclassification

Many of them have three-part corollas. Because of this, scientists once placed them in the Liliaceae family. However, the APG III system changed their classification in 2009.

Melanthiaceae has 17 genera divided into five class. It includes many spring flowers found in the Cascades, like trilliums and bear grass (Xerophyllum tenax).

Death Camas Toxicoscordion Venenosum

Growth Habit

Showy perennial monocot with many white flowers arising from a 12 to 25 mm diameter bulb.

Leaves

Basal, grass-like, and channeled with parallel veins. Grow up to 30 cm long, tapering up the stem and are somewhat rough to the touch.

Stems

range in height from 15 to 70 centimeters and are smooth, lacking any hairs.

Flowers

Inflorescence is a raceme of many flowers in a compact, terminal cluster. Foul smelling, creamy to yellowish white blossoms are bell shaped, with six petals and green glands at the base.

Fruits

Flowers produce cylindrical, papery capsules that are 8 to 14 mm wide.

Ecology

(In the Arid Western US) FACU, Facultative Upland species, can grow in a variety of environments from seasonally wet prairies to rocky cliffs, and forests below 2,600 meter above sea level.

Notes

The bulb and leaves of this plant are extremely poisonous to humans and grazing animals. Consuming as little as just 2 to 6% of one’s body weight can be fatal. Death Camas contains a chemical known as zygacine and other esters that are neurotoxins, interrupting normal neural activity. Unfortunately, bulbs have been confused with those of the edible C. quamash, C. leichtlinii, or alliums occurring in the same ecosystems, killing those who ingest them.

You may be interested to read: Asparagaceae

FAQ About Death Camas Toxicoscordion Venenosum

Why is Toxicoscordion venenosum (Death Camas) so dangerous?

The toxic alkaloids zigacin present in Death Camas damage the nervous system which produces vomiting and paralysis and can result in fatal consequences if any part of the plant gets inside the body.

Which methods exist to tell away Death Camas bulbs from edible Camassia species?

The white flowers of Toxicoscordion display wide star-shaped tepals together with a apparent green ovary.
The plants possess leaves that differ from each other by being narrow and firm while Camassia has broader leaf structure with soft texture.
The correct identification of Death Camas becomes essential during spring before the flowers start to fade.

Did indigenous peoples use Death Camas for anything?

A few tribal communities exploited the plant toxins for shedding arrowhead poison yet they did not consume the poison themselves. The indigenous people administered death camas extracts in diluted form as part of their topical medicine but they administered them in strictly controlled ways.

Which species of animals can survive Death Camas pollen exposure while avoiding intoxication?

Andrena astragali stands as the only pollinator of this plant since it has developed exceptional resistance to its toxic compounds.

This article was validated by:

Star professor at the University of Central Florida, known for his absolute mastery of his botanical subject matter, as if he was born with a textbook in his hand. With more years of experience than a dictionary on the shelf, he has earned his place as an authority in his field. If you are ever in doubt, prepare to be enlightened by his answers as reliable as a Swiss watch…

Jose Gonzalez

Sources consulted:

United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service. Ethnobotany, Culture and Use of Great Camas. Portland, OR September 1999 Plant Materials Technical Note NO. 23

Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). A revision of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group’s classification regarding the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III. Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. Retrieved 2013-06-26.

Guard, J. (1995). Wetland Plants of Oregon and Washington. Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta.

Jepson eFlora: Toxicoscordion venenosa: http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=93851

Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System – Zigadenus venenosus http://www.cbif.gc.ca/eng/species-bank/canadian-poisonous-plants-information-system/all-plants-common-name/death-camas/?id=1370403267102&gt