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Camassia cusickii

(Cusick's Camas)

Overview

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Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

Cusick's Camas, Cusick's Camassia, Cusicks Quamash

Common Names in French:

Cusick Camas

Description

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Genus Camassia

Herbs, perennial , from bulbs. Bulbs solitary or clustered, tunicate , ovoid to globose ; tunic black or brown. Leaves basal, appearing whorled ; blade linear , keeled . Inflorescences appearing terminal , racemose, bracteate ; bracts sterile or subtending flowers, narrowly lanceolate. Flowers actinomorphic or zygomorphic; tepals 6, persistent , ± equal in 2 whorls of 3, distinct , violet, blue, or white, each 3-9-veined, lanceolate, ± twisted in drying; stamens 6; filaments inserted on receptacles at base of tepals, slender; anthers versatile, dehiscence introrse ; ovary 3-locular, septal nectaries present, ovules 6-36; style filiform ; stigma 3-lobed; pedicel spreading to incurving-erect in fruit. Fruits capsular , ovoid to ellipsoid or subglobose, dehiscence loculicidal. Seeds 6-36, lustrous black, obpyriform to ovoid-ellipsoid, 2-4 mm. x = 15.

Species 6: North America.

Cmassia has been associated with other western North American genera of Liliaceae such as Schoenolirion, Hastingsia, and especially Chlorogalum (F. Speta 1998; M. Pfosser and F. Speta 1999), but recent molecular evidence (D. J. Bogler and B . B. Simpson 1996; M. F. Fay and M. W. Chase 1996) suggests that it may be related instead to the Agavaceae. Furthermore, the bimodal, 2n = 30 karyology of Camassia (A. Fernandez and J. R. Davina 1991) is similar to that of Agavaceae (D. Satô 1935) and not that of Chlorogalum.

Camassia bulbs have been an important food staple for native Americans, especially in the Pacific Northwest (G. R. Downing and L. S. Furniss 1968; N. J. Turner and H. V. Kuhnlein 1983), where bulbs were dug and traded on large encampment meadows. Similarity to the poisonous bulbs of Zigadenus (€œdeath camas€) is a concern where ranges of the two genera overlap. Several Camassia species are cultivated and represent a major horticultural contribution from the native flora.

Variation and intergradation of C. angusta and C. scilloides have been reviewed by T. A. Ranker and A. F. Schnabel (1986), as well as J. A. Steyermark (1961), R. O. Erickson (1941), and F. W. Gould (1942).[1]

Physical Description

Species Camassia cusickii

Bulbs clustered, ellipsoid , 2-7 cm diam. Leaves rarely fewer than 10, 2.5-5 dm × 2-5 cm. Inflorescences 50-80 cm; sterile bracts 0, bracts subtending flowers exceeding pedicel. Flowers slightly zygomorphic; tepals withering separately after anthesis , pale blue or bluish violet, each 3(-5) -veined, 25-35 × 3-5 mm; anthers yellow, 3.5-4(-5) mm; fruiting pedicel incurving-erect or slightly spreading , 15-25 mm. Capsules not deciduous, light brown, ovoid or ellipsoid, 15-25 mm. Seeds 5-10 per locule. 2n = 30. [source]

Habit: Forb/herb

Flowers: Bloom Period: April. • Flower Color: cream, near white, purple, tan, white

Size/Age/Growth

Size: 36-48" tall.

Habitat

Hillsides; 1000--2000 m [2].

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 2,174 meters (0 to 7,133 feet).[3]

Biology

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Reproduction

Duration: Perennial

Growth

Culture: Space 15-18" apart.

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b. (map)

Taxonomy

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Synonyms

Quamasia cusickii (S. Watson) Coville • Quamasia cusickii Coville

Notes

Publishing author : S.Watson

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Camassia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 27 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus:

C. angusta (Prairie Camas) · C. cusickii (Cusick's Camas) · C. cusickii 'Zwanenburg' (Cusick's Camas) · C. howellii (Howell Camassia) · C. leichtlinii (Camas) · C. leichtlinii 'Blue Danube' (Blue Danube Camassia) · C. leichtlinii leichtlinii (Large Camas) · C. leichtlinii suksdorfii (Camas) · C. leichtlinii 'Alba' (Camassia) · C. leichtlinii 'Caerulea' (Camassia) · C. leichtlinii 'Semiplena' (Camassia) · C. leichtlinii subsp. suksdorfii (Suksdorf's Large Camas) · C. quamash azurea (Camas Lily) · C. quamash intermedia (Small Camas) · C. quamash linearis (Small Camas) · C. quamash maxima (Small Camas) · C. quamash utahensis (Camas) · C. quamash walpolei (Walpole's Small Camas) · C. quamash subsp. azurea (Small Camas) · C. quamash 'Blue Melody' (Camas Lily) · C. quamash subsp. intermedia (Small Camas) · C. quamash subsp. linearis (Small Camas) · C. quamash subsp. maxima (Small Camas) · C. quamash subsp. utahensis (Utah Small Camas) · C. quamash subsp. walpolei (Walpole's Small Camas) · C. scilloides (Atlantic Camas) · C. walpolei (Walpole's Small Camas)

More Info

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Further Reading

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Notes

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Contributors

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal February 28, 2008:

Identifiers

Footnotes

  1. Tom A. Ranker & Tim Hogan "Camassia". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 20, 21, 58, 82, 303, 308. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  2. "Camassia cusickii". in Flora of North America Vol. 26 Page 304, 307. Oxford University Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]
  3. Mean = 1,095.380 meters (3,593.766 feet), Standard Deviation = 680.430 based on 13 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]
Last Revised: 7/15/2012