Zigadenus elegans

Pursh

Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 241. 1814.

Common names: Mountain death camas zigadène élégant
Illustrated
Synonyms: Anticlea alpina A. Heller Anticlea chlorantha (Richardson) Rydberg Anticlea coloradensis (Rydberg) Rydberg Anticlea elegans (Pursh) Rydberg Anticlea glauca (Nuttall) Kunth Anticlea gracilenta (Greene) R. R. Gates Anticlea longa (Greene) A. Heller Anticlea mohinorensis (Greenman) R. R. Gates Melanthium glaucum Nuttall Zigadenus alpinus Blankinship Zigadenus chloranthus Richardson Zigadenus coloradensis Rydberg Zigadenus dilatatus Greene Zigadenus elegans subsp. glaucus (Nuttall) Hultén Zigadenus elegans var. glaucus (Nuttall) Preece ex Cronquist Zigadenus glaucus Greene Zigadenus gracilentus Greenman Zigadenus longus A. Nelson Zigadenus mohinorensis Zigadenus washakie
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Mentioned on page 87.

Plants 2–8 dm, from bulbs; bulbs not clumped, tunicate, narrowly ovoid, 1.5–3 × 1–2 cm. Stems without persistent leaf-bases. Leaves: proximal blades 10–30 cm × 3–15 mm. Inflorescences loosely racemose to paniculate, 10–50-flowered, with 1–4 branches, 0.9–2.5 dm × 3–6 cm. Flowers: perianth perigynous, rotate to rotate-campanulate, 15–20 mm diam.; tepals persistent in fruit, cream colored to greenish, ovate, 7–12 × 4–5 mm, somewhat narrowed at base; gland 1, obcordate; pedicel erect at anthesis, 1–2.3 cm, bracts often tinged with purple or pink, ovate, 5–20 mm. Capsules narrowly conic, 10–20 mm. 2n = 32.


Phenology: Flowering Jun–Aug.
Habitat: Moist grasslands, river and lake shores, bogs in coniferous forests
Elevation: 0–3600 m

Distribution

V26 86-distribution-map.jpg

Alta., B.C., Man., N.W.T., Ont., Que., Sask., Yukon, Alaska, Ariz., Colo., Idaho, Ill., Ind., Iowa, Md., Mich., Minn., Mo., Mont., Nebr., Nev., N.Mex., N.Y., N.C., N.Dak., Ohio, Oreg., Pa., S.Dak., Tenn., Tex., Utah, Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo., Mexico

Discussion

Zigadenus elegans has been treated previously as comprising two varieties, or two subspecies (W. B. Zomlefer 1997b). The western var. or subsp. elegans tends to be a smaller plant with a raceme or a 1–2-branched panicle and glabrous, sometimes glaucous leaves and stems; while the eastern var. or subsp. glaucus tends to be a larger plant with a paniculate inflorescence and glaucous leaves and stems. Because there is considerable evidence of intergradation between the two entities toward the middle of the range, including overlapping flowering times, they have not been formally distinguished here.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

"broad" is not a number."dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property. "dm" is not declared as a valid unit of measurement for this property."thicker" is not a number.

... more about "Zigadenus elegans"
introrse +, extrorse +  and transverse +
reniform +
Fayla C. Schwartz +
whorled +, opposite +  and alternate +
dilated +
reticulate-veined +  and parallel-veined +
, +  and tinged with purple or tinged with pink +
0.5 cm5 mm <br />0.005 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
membranous +
1 +  and 4 +
not clumped +
1.5cm +  and 3cm +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
Mountain death camas +  and zigadène élégant +
Alta. +, B.C. +, Man. +, N.W.T. +, Ont. +, Que. +, Sask. +, Yukon +, Alaska +, Ariz. +, Colo. +, Idaho +, Ill. +, Ind. +, Iowa +, Md. +, Mich. +, Minn. +, Mo. +, Mont. +, Nebr. +, Nev. +, N.Mex. +, N.Y. +, N.C. +, N.Dak. +, Ohio +, Oreg. +, Pa. +, S.Dak. +, Tenn. +, Tex. +, Utah +, Vt. +, Va. +, Wash. +, W.Va. +, Wis. +, Wyo. +  and Mexico +
0–3600 m +
connate-coroniform +  and dilated +
staminate +  and pedicellate +
protandrous +  and bisexual +
loculicidal +  and septicidal +
membranaceous +  and leathery +
obcordate +
Moist grasslands, river and lake shores, bogs in coniferous forests +
loosely racemose +  and paniculate +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (6 cm60 mm <br />0.06 m <br />) +
persistent +
many;several +
cream colored +  and greenish or red tinged +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br />) +
rotate;rotate-campanulate +
Flowering Jun–Aug. +
tapering +
10 cm100 mm <br />0.1 m <br /> (30 cm300 mm <br />0.3 m <br />) +
0.3 cm3 mm <br />0.003 m <br /> (1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br />) +
Fl. Amer. Sept. +
contractile +
ellipsoid +
wind-distributed +
2 +  and 20 +
flattened +  and elongate +
Illustrated +
adnate +  and free +
staminodial +
rudimentary +
barely larger +
Anticlea alpina +, Anticlea chlorantha +, Anticlea coloradensis +, Anticlea elegans +, Anticlea glauca +, Anticlea gracilenta +, Anticlea longa +, Anticlea mohinorensis +, Melanthium glaucum +, Zigadenus alpinus +, Zigadenus chloranthus +, Zigadenus coloradensis +, Zigadenus dilatatus +, Zigadenus elegans subsp. glaucus +, Zigadenus elegans var. glaucus +, Zigadenus glaucus +, Zigadenus gracilentus +, Zigadenus longus +, Zigadenus mohinorensis +  and Zigadenus washakie +
Zigadenus elegans +
Zigadenus +
species +
cream colored;greenish +
persistent +
7mm;12mm +
narrowed +  and ovate +
4mm;5mm +
sepaloid +  and petaloid +
narrower +
rhizomatous +, bulbous +  and subscapose +
3 +  and 2 +
26 +, 11 +  and 8 +