Toxicoscordion venenosum

Toxicoscordion venenosum 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 edible onions of the genus Allium.[3]

The flowers are cream coloured or white and grow in pointed clusters, flowering between April and July.

Varieties include:[1]

• Toxicoscordion venenosum var. gramineum (Rydb.) Brasher
• Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum — a variety or the solo current species classification[4][5]

The plant is widespread across much of Western Canada, the Western United States, and northern Baja California (México).[1][6][7][8][9] They tend to grow in dry meadows and on dry hillsides as well as sagebrush slopes and montane forests.[6][10][11]

All parts of the plant are poisonous. It is dangerous for humans as well as livestock. Consumption of 2% to 6% of the body weight of the animal is likely to be fatal.[12][10] Along with other alkaloids, zygacine and other toxic esters of zygadenine are the primary neurotoxic alkaloids contributing to the plant's toxicity. [13]

The plant is visited by a specialist mining bee, Andrena astragali, which is possibly the only bee that can tolerate its toxins.[14]

• 
  Kingston Prairie Preserve
• 
  University of California Botanical Garden
• 
  William O. Douglas Wilderness
• 
  Washington Park (Anacortes)

• Calflora Database: Toxicoscordion venenosum (Meadow deathcamas)
• Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of Toxicoscordion venenosum var. venenosum
• USDA Plants Profile for Zigadenus venenosus var. venenosus (meadow deathcamas)
• Lady Bird Johnson Wild Flower Center: Zigadenus venenosus (Meadow death camas, death camas)
• Turner Photographics, Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest: Zigadenus venenosus (Meadow death camas)
• UC Photos gallery — Toxicoscordion venenosum

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