NUTTALl/s DEATH CAMAS AS A POISONOUS PLANT 
3 
one-fourth to three-eighths inch long and free from the seed pod; 
the glands are roundish and rather ill defined; the stamens are some- 
what longer than the flower segments. The seed pods are about one- 
half inch long, three beaked, and three celled, splitting along the 
juncture of the cells. The seeds are numerous, flattened, and about 
one-fourth inch long. 
The plant was discovered near Fort Smith, Ark., by Thomas 
Nut tall in 1819. 
Its known range is in the upland prairie from Riley County, Kans., 
south to the southern limits of the Edwards Plateau, Tex., as shown 
in the map, Figure 1. 
Fig. 1— Distribution of Nuttall's death camas (Zygadenus nuttallii) 
It is replaced in the Great Plains by Z. gramineus, from which it 
can be distinguished by a more robust habit, stamens exceeding the 
flower segments, flower clusters branched, and upper leaves usually 
sheathless. 
In Plate I is shown the plant in flower and in seed. 
EXPERIMENTAL WORK 
During the summer of 1923 Zygadenus nuttallii was fed to 7 cattle 
and 16 sheep. All but one of the animals were more or less affected 
by the plant and two died. Dried plant was used in all cases, but 
the toxic and lethal doses were computed as green plant and in 
terms of percentages of animal weight. In one of the fatal cases, 
sheep 759, the animal was previously diseased and the plant was only 
a contributory cause of death. All but two of the sheep were fed 
by balling gun. Table 1 gives the general data of the experiments. 
