Death Camas

This is Zigadenus venenosus, the Meadow Death Camas, so called because all parts of the plant are poisonous. It is said that members of the Lewis and Clark expedition became ill from eating the bulbs of this plant after confusing it with other edible Camas bulbs.

Because it is often found in open grazing areas, it is a danger to cattle, sheep and horses, though pigs are supposed to be immune to it. It contains a toxic alkaloid, zygadenine, and can cause vomiting, decrease in blood pressure, seizure, coma and death.

These plants were photographed on rocky sunny southern slopes of Washington Park on Fidalgo Island, where they were just beginning to open. I can grow to about 18 inches, but the plants we saw were much shorter. Needless to say, we did not sample them.