Zigadenus venenosus, commonly called death camas or meadow deathcamas, is a flowering plant

Flowering plant

The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...

 in the genus Zigadenus belonging to the Melanthiaceae

Melanthiaceae

Melanthiaceae is a family of flowering perennial herbs in the Northern Hemisphere. The family has been recognized by relatively few taxonomists, and the circumscription has varied...

. It grows up to 70 cm tall with long, basal, grass-like leaves. The bulbs are oval and look like onions but do not smell like onions. The flowers are cream coloured or white and grow in pointed clusters, flowering between April and July. Death camas occurs in some parts of western North America and can be easily confused with edible onions of genus Allium

Allium

Allium is a monocot genus of flowering plants, informally referred to as the onion genus. The generic name Allium is the Latin word for garlic....

. They tend to grow in dry meadows and on dry hillsides as well as sagebrush slopes and montane forests. Called alapíšaš in Sahaptin

Sahaptin

Sahaptin may refer to:*Sahaptin language, a dialect continuum within the Sahaptian language subfamily*Sahaptin people, an Indian people of a large territory along the Columbia river and its tributaries in Oregon, Washington, and northern Idaho...

.

All parts of the plant are poisonous. It is dangerous for humans as well as livestock, though some poisoned by it have been treated. Alkaloids are responsible for the plants being poisonous and it's said eating rich fish or beef broth, grease, or butter may counteract the poison.

External links

• Zigadenus venenosus - Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System