[Death-camas East of the Cascade Mts. of Oregon and Washington]
Glaucous Death Camas, Glaucous Zigaenus, Mountain Deathcamas
Anticlea elegans
Synonyms: Anticlea coloradensis, Zigadenus alpinus, Zigadenus elegans, Zigadenus elegans ssp. elegans
The photo above shows a close-up of the tepals of glaucous zigadene as seen at Irondycke Campground along the Lostine River in the Wallowa Mts. of northeastern Oregon........July 8, 2007. Note the large, dark yellow glands at the base of each tepal.
Photo at right of glaucous
zigadene along the Lostine River, Wallowa-Whitman N.F......7/24/97.
Characteristics:
Glaucous zigadene is a pretty wildflower with a single stem
rising to 70 cm from single to clustered bulbs, ovoid in shape and from 1.5-3
cm long with short rootstocks. The grass-like leaves are primarily basal and
either flat or keeled. They are up to 30 cm long and 3-12 mm wide. The stem
leaves are reduced upward on the stems.
The flowers are greenish-white or lightly yellowish- white
with 6 spreading tepals, and a large obcordate yellow gland towards the base
(See photos.). Individual tepals are about 8 to 11 mm long and lanceolate to
ovate or obovate in shape. The inflorescence is an open raceme from 6-15 cm
long with the flowers on long pedicels. The 6 stamens are nearly equal
to the length of the tepals.
Habitat:
Glaucous zigadene inhabits open grasslands to rocky slopes,
forests, and meadows. In the Pacific Northwest, it is primarily found in alpine
and montane habitats.
Range:
Glaucous zigadene is found from Alaska south through British
Columbia to both the Olympic Mts and Cascades of Washington. From there, it
may be found eastward through eastern Oregon to Nevada and Arizona, and further
east to Alberta and Texas.
Importance:
An extremely poisonous plant. Avoid its consumption!
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Close-ups of the tepals and anthers of glaucous zigadene as seen at Irondycke Campground along the Lostine River in the Wallowa Mts. of northeastern Oregon........July 8, 2007.
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Glaucous zigadene as seen in moist forest around the eastern edge of Lost Lake Fen, Okanogan National Forest..........July 12, 2015.
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The photo at left shows a close-up view of the inflorescence of glaucous zigadene as seen in recently burned forest in the Renner Lake highlands in the Colville National Forest to the northwest of Kettle Falls, Washington..........June 25, 2016. The photos at center and at right shows a close-up sideview of the tepals and a full view of glaucous zigadene as seen at moist seeps along the Canyon Mountain Trail #218, Strawberry Mountain Wilderness.........August 19, 2011.
Paul Slichter