BUNCH-FLOWER FAMILY 



1>77 



7. Zygadenus intermedius Rydb. 

 Rocky Mountain Zygadene. Fig. 922. 



Zygadenus iiitcniicdius Kvdb. Bull. Torrey Club 27: 



535. 1900. 

 Toxicoscordion intermedium Kydli. Bull. Torrey Club 



30: 272. 1903. 



Plants rather stout, 3-6 dm. tall, glabrous ; 

 bulb elongated ovoid, 3 cm. long, 1.5 cm. 

 thick. Basal leaves 2-3 dm. long, 5-9 mm. 

 wide, scabrous on the midrib and margins ; 

 cauline leaves prominently sheathed at base ; 

 inflorescence a simple raceme or with one or 

 two basal branches, becoming 10-20 cm. long ; 

 bracts membranous, long-attenuate ; pedicels 

 slender, erect in fruit, 1-2 cm. long ; perianth- 

 segments pale yellow, 6-8 mm. long, obtuse, 

 the sepals narrowed or rounded at the base into 

 a short claw, the petals oblong, subcordate at 

 base and with a claw 1 mm. long; gland with 

 the upper margin toothed, thin and ill-dehned, 

 capsule cylindric, 12 mm. long; seeds 4.5 mm. 

 long. 



Wet places, Transition and Boreal Zones; Mon- 

 tana and Utah to western Idabn and eastern Wash- 

 ington. Type locality: Nez Perces County, Idaho. 



8. Zygadenus venenosus S. Wats. 

 Deadly Zygadene or Death Camass. Fig. 923. 



enenosus S. Wats. Proc. Am. Acad. 14: 279. 

 enoiosum Rydb. Bull. Torrey Club 30: 



Zvgadejius 



1879. 

 Toxicoscordio)! 



272. 1903. 

 Toxicoscordioii arenicola Heller, Muhlenbergia 2: 182. 



1906. 



Plants 2.5-6 dm. tall, glabrous ; bulbs broadly 

 ovoid, 20 mm. thick or less. Basal leaves about 

 • two-thirds the length of the stem, 12 mm. wide or 

 commonly less, faintly scabrous on the margins; 

 cauline leaves with only the lowest scariously 

 sheathed ; inflorescence 10-20 cm. long, usually a 

 simple raceme, occasionally with one or more basal 

 branches ; bracts membranous, setaceously attenu- 

 ate, about 1 cm. long; pedicels ascending or erect 

 in fruit, about 2 cm. long ; perianth-segments nar- 

 rowly ovate, subcordate at base, all distinctly and 

 about equally clawed; gland with a thick, well- 

 defined upper margin; capsule cylindric 12-15 min. 

 long. 



Usually in wet meadows, but also on rocky slopes, Upper 

 Sonoran to Canadian Zones; British Columbia and Idaho to 

 Utah, Nevada and California, where it e.xtends in both the 

 Sierra Nevada and Coast Ranges to the Cuyamaca Moun- 

 tains. Type locality: iSIonterey County, California. 



7. VERATRUM L. Sp. PI. 1044. 1753. 



Tall perennial herbs, with thick short poisonous rootstocks, the leaves mostly broad, 

 clasping, strongly veined and plaited, the stem and inflorescence pubescent. Flowers green- 

 ish, white or purple, rather large, polygamous or monoecious, on short stout pedicels in 

 large terminal panicles. Perianth-segments 6, glandless or nearly so. not clawed, sometimes 

 adnate to the base of the ovary. Stamens opposite the perianth-segments and free from 

 them, short, mostly curved. Anthers cordate, their sacs confluent ovoid, styles 3, per- 

 sistent. Capsule 3-lobed, 3-celled, the cavities several-seeded. [Ancient name of Helle- 

 bore.] 



About 12 species, natives of the northern hemisjjhere. Besides the following, 3 other species occur in 

 the eastern United States. Type species, Vcratrum album L. 



Ovary glabrous or nearly so. 



Perianth-segments serrulate or entire. 



Panicle drooping; flowers green. ]. K. tnirfi?. 

 Panicle erect; flowers white. 



Terminal branch of panicle much elongated; perianth-segments narrow (2-3 mm.). 



„ . , 2. V. caudatum. 



lermmal branch of panicle rather short; perianth-segments broader. 3. V. californicum. 



Perianth-segments fimbriate. 4. J/, fimbriatum. 



Ovary densely woolly; perianth-segments erose or slightly fringed. 5. V. insolitum. 



