BULLETIN 1240. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURJ 
While this species has been quite generally recognized as poisonous, 
very little has been definitely known of the actual effect of the plant 
on animals, except the fact that it produced sickness. The work 
reported in Bulletin 1012 which showed that Z. paniculatus and Z. 
eler/ans differ widely in their toxic properties, both from each other 
and from Z. gramtneus, made it a matter of interest and importance 
to examine Z. venenosus in the same way. 
DESCRIPTION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE PLANT. 2 
Zygadenus venenosus is the so-called lobelia of the stockmen of 
Oregon and California, and might well be called the meadow death 
camas from its habitat. 
The plant, shown in Plate I, is more slender and delicate than 
Z. paniculatus. The bulbs are oblong-ovate, about half an inch in 
diameter, and coated, the 
outer coat usually fibrous. 
The stems are 6 inches to 2 
feet high. The leaves are 
linear, 4 to 12 inches long, 
one-sixth to one-fourth inch 
wide, striate, roughish, and 
often folded. The stem 
leaves are without sheaths, 
but the root leaves are 
sheathed. The raceme is 
simple, appearing flat- 
topped when young, later 
becoming elongated with 
membranaceous or foliace- 
ous bracts, which are bris- 
tle pointed and acuminate. 
The pedicels are slender, 
one-fourth to 1 inch long, 
and erect in fruit. The 
flowers are polygamous and 
greenish white. The ova t e 
to elliptical flower segments 
are free from the ovary and 
one-sixth to one-fourth inch 
long, obtuse or nearly so, 
with short claws and with glands extending slightly beyond the claws, 
the margin of the glands being irregular. The stamens are longer 
than the segments and slightly adhering to them. The capsules are 
one-third to one-half inch long, oblong-ovate. The seeds are numer- 
ous, brownish, angled,, and somewhat margined. 
The plant is known from British Columbia south to southern Califor- 
nia and eastward to the Wasatch Mountains of northern Utah. It is 
abundant in Washington west of the Cascade Mountains, and is found 
in the valley of the Columbia River and of theSnake River into Idaho. 
It usually occurs in the higher altitudes, reaching 7,000 feet in the 
Wasatch Mountains, but is also found on the coast about. Puget Sound- 
Its natural habitat is springy meadows and stream banks in sand 
and gravel. 
Fig. 1.— Distribution c! 
Zygadenus venenosv - 
States. 
in the United 
Figure 1 shows its distribution in the United Stated 
i The description L the statement < lution were prepared by W. W. 
Eggleston, of tin; Bu I istry. 
