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• Conservation Status
• Taxonomy
• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Reproduction
• Growth
• Similar Species
• Bibliography
• More Info
• Notes
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Overview:

Threatened

Conservation Status

Species at Risk Act (SARA) Public Registry: Species in Ontario designated Threatened under the Species at Risk Act.

Uses as Product: Berry/Nut/Seed Product: No • Christmas Tree Product: No • Fodder Product: No • Fuelwood Product: None • Lumber Product: No • Naval Store Product: No • Nursery Stock Product: No • Post Product: No • Pulpwood Product: No • Veneer Product: No

Edibility: Palatable Human: Yes • Toxicity: None

Taxonomy

Unambiguous Synonyms:

1. Camassia esculenta (Raf.) Cory
2. Quamasia hyacinthina (Raf.) Britt.

Notes:

Publishing author: Britton Publication: Ill. Fl. N. U.S. (Britton & Brown) 1: 423 1896

Basionym author: (Raf.)

Name Status: Accepted Name. Latest taxonomic scrutiny: 15-Mar-2000

Place of publication: Rhodora 38:405. 1936 "scillioides"

Name verified on 15-Mar-2007 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 15-Mar-2007

Physical Description

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]

Habit: Forb/herb • Growth Form: Single Crown • Shape and Orientation: Erect

Flowers: Bloom Period: Mid Spring • Flower Color: Blue • Flower Conspicuous: Yes

Seeds: Seed Spread Rate: Slow • Seedling Vigor: Medium • Fruit/Seed Abundance: Low • Fruit/Seed Color: Brown • Fruit/Seed Conspicuous: No • Cold Stratification Required: Yes

Foliage: Foliage Color: Green • Foliage Porosity Summer: Porous • Foliage Porosity Winter: Porous • Foliage Texture: Coarse • Fall Conspicuous: No • Leaf Retention: No

Images:

Distribution

Range and Population

North America

Native: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Ontario, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin.

Reproduction

Duration: Perennial • Coppice Potential: No • Progagated by Bulbs: Yes • Propagated by Bare Root: No • Propagated by Container: No • Propagated by Corms: No • Propagated by Cuttings: No • Propagated by Seed: Yes • Propagated by Sod: No • Propagated by Sprigs: No • Propagated by Tubers: No • Fruit/Seed Period Begin: Spring • Fruit/Seed Period End: Spring • Fruit/Seed Persistence: No • Fruit/Seed Persistence: No

Growth

Culture: Space 9-12" apart.

Soil: Adapted to Medium Textured: Adapted to Medium Textured Soils • Adapted to Coarse Textured Soils: No • Anaerobic Tolerance: Low • Salinity Tolerance: None • CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium • Minimum pH: 4.2 • Maximum pH: 6.5 • Fertility Requirement: Medium

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade. • Shade Tolerance: Tolerant

Moisture: Drought Tolerance: Low • Minimum Precipitation: 30 • Maximum Precipitation: 55 • Moisture Use: Medium

Temperature: Minimum Temperature (F): -28 • Minimum Frost Free Days: 100 • Cold Hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b. (map)

Similar Species

Members of the genus Camassia:

There are approximately 61 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus: C. quamash teapeae · C. quamash typica · C. alba · C. angusta (Prairie Camas) · C. azurea · C. biflora · C. cusickii (Cusick's Camas) · C. cusickii 'Zwanenburg' (Cusick's Camas) · C. cusickii white-flowered · C. engelmannii · C. fraseri · C. howellii (Howell Camassia) · C. hyacinthina · C. leichilinii · C. leichtlinii (Camas) · C. leichtlinii 'Alba Plena' · C. leichtlinii 'Alba' (Camassia) · C. leichtlinii 'Atrocaerulea' · C. leichtlinii 'Blauwe Donau' · C. leichtlinii 'Caerulea' (Camassia) · C. leichtlinii 'Coerulea' · C. leichtlinii 'Magdalen' · C. leichtlinii 'Plena' · C. leichtlinii 'Semiplena' (Camassia) · C. leichtlinii 'Blue Danube' (Blue Danube Camassia) · C. leichtlinii f. suksdorfii · C. leichtlinii leichtlinii (Large Camas) · C. leichtlinii subsp. suksdorfii · C. leichtlinii suksdorfii (Camas) · C. leichtlinii suksdorfii 'Alba' · C. leichtlinii suksdorfii 'Albocaerulea' · C. leichtlinii suksdorfii 'Blauwe Donau' · C. leichtlinii suksdorfii 'Electra' · C. leichtlinii suksdorfii 'Lady Eve Price' · C. leichtlinii suksdorfii Atroviolacea Group · C. leichtlinii suksdorfii Caerulea Group · C. leichtlinii typica · C. leichtlinii var. watsoni · C. leichtlinnii · C. quamash 'Blue Melody' (Camas Lily) · C. quamash 'Orion' · C. quamash 'Purpureocoerulea' · C. quamash azurea (Camas Lily) · C. quamash intermedia (Small Camas) · C. quamash linearis (Small Camas) · C. quamash maxima (Small Camas) · C. quamash subsp. azurea · C. quamash subsp. intermedia · C. quamash subsp. linearis · C. quamash subsp. maxima · C. quamash subsp. utahensis · C. quamash subsp. walpolei · C. quamash utahensis (Camas) · C. quamash walpolei · C. scillioides · C. scilloides (Atlantic Camas) · C. scilloides f. candida · C. scilloides f. petersenii · C. scilloides f. variegata · C. teapeae · C. walpolei

Bibliography

• Correll, D. S. & M. C. Johnston. 1970. Manual of the vascular plants of Texas. (F Tex)
• FNA Editorial Committee. 1993–. Flora of North America. (F NAmer)
• Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2. (Glea Cron ed2)
• Gould, F. W. 1942. A systematic treatment of the genus Camassia Lindl. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 28: 712-742.
• Ranker, T. A. and A. F. Schnabel. 1986. Allozymic and morphological evidence for a progenitor-derivative species pair in Camassia (Liliaceae). Syst. Bot. 11: 433-445.
• Scoggan, H. J. 1978–1979. The flora of Canada, 4 vol. (F Canada)

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Notes

Contributors:

• Bisby, F.A., Y.R. Roskov, M.A. Ruggiero, T.M. Orrell, L.E. Paglinawan, P.W. Brewer, N. Bailly, J. van Hertum, eds (2007). Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life: 2007 Annual Checklist. Species 2000: Reading, U.K.
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed November 12, 2007. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 8 providers.
• The International Plant Names Index. Accessed Jan 19, 2007.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 26, 2008)
• World Checklist of Selected Plant Families

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 12, 2007:

• Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian Museum of Nature Herbarium
• Missouri Botanical Garden, Missouri Botanical Garden
• USDA PLANTS, USDA PLANTS Database
• University of Alabama Biodiversity and Systematics, Herbarium

Identifiers:

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 42892
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 13754766
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:43771-2
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: PMLIL0E050
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: CASC5
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 26740

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.