''Zigadenus'' is a genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...
s now containing only one species, ''Zigadenus glaberrimus'', the sandbog death camas, found in the southeastern United States from
Mississippi
Mississippi ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico to the south, Louisiana to the s ...
to
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...
.
/ref> Around 20 species were formerly included in the genus, but have now been moved to other genera.
Description
''Zigadenus glaberrimus'' generally grows to a height of . A total of 30–70 flowers are borne in panicles. Each white to cream colored flower is bell-shaped, across. The tepals of the flower remain attached to the fruit capsule when it forms. The cone shaped seed capsules are long by across.
Systematics
The genus is a member of the family Melanthiaceae
Melanthiaceae, also called the bunchflower family, is a family (biology), family of flowering plant, flowering herbaceous perennial plants native to the Northern Hemisphere. Along with many other lilioid monocots, early authors considered member ...
, tribe Melanthieae
Melanthieae is a tribe of flowering plants within the family Melanthiaceae. Molecular phylogenetics, Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have resulted in a large-scale reassignment of many of its species to different genera; in par ...
. Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have resulted in number of changes to placements within this tribe.
Species formerly placed in ''Zigadenus''
Around twenty species were included in the genus as it was previously circumscribed. ''Zigadenus glaberrimus'', sandbog deathcamas, is the only species remaining in the genus. Species which have been transferred to other genera are listed below.[
*'' Amianthium muscitotoxum'' – flypoison
*'' Anticlea elegans'' – elegant camas, alkali grass, mountain deathcamas
*'' Anticlea hintoniorum''
*'' Anticlea mogollonensis'' – Mogollon deathcamas
*'' Anticlea neglecta''
*'' Anticlea sibirica''
*'' Anticlea vaginata'' – sheathed deathcamas
*'' Anticlea virescens'' – green deathcamas
*'' Anticlea volcanica'' – lava deathcamas
*'' Stenanthium densum'' – Osceola's plume, black snakeroot, crow poison
*'' Stenanthium gramineum'' – featherbells
*'' Stenanthium leimanthoides'' – pinebarren deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion brevibracteatum'' – desert deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion exaltatum'' – giant deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion fontanum'' – smallflower deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion fremontii'' – Fremont's deathcamas, star zigadene – (several varieties)
*'' Toxicoscordion nuttallii'' – Nuttall's deathcamas
*'' Toxicoscordion paniculatum'' – foothill deathcamas, sand-corn
*'' Toxicoscordion venenosum'' – deathcamas, meadow deathcamas – (several varieties)
*'' Toxicoscordion micranthum'' – smallflower deathcamas
]
Toxicity
Like all the species previously included in this genus, all parts of ''Z. glaberrimus'' are toxic, due to the presence of alkaloid
Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids.
Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...
s such as zygacine. Grazing animals, such as sheep and cattle, may be affected and this or related species have caused human fatalities.
References
{{Authority control
Melanthiaceae
Monotypic Liliales genera
Flora of the Southeastern United States