Chaparral Zygadene
Toxioscordion fremontii
Fremont’s Deathcamas is a beautiful flowering geophyte. Like other deathcamases, Fremont’s Deathcamas grows from a roughly spherical bulb, which has a diameter of 20-35 mm. From the bulb grow erect, light green stems which can reach up to 3 ft tall. The thick, waxy leaves grow from the stem’s base and can reach up to half a meter in length, though they’re typically half that. From the top of the stem is an organized inflorescence cluster with up to 20 star-shaped flowers. The white-yellow flowers are symmetrical, 1-4 cm across, with six pointed petals and greenish-yellow pollen glands in the center. The plant’s fruit is an oblong 3-chambered capsule.
Basic Information
Member of the Melanthiaceae family
Perennial herb
Habitat
Native to California, southwestern Oregon, and northern Baja California
Found primarily on low-lying slopes and rocky outcrops, including grasslands, chaparral, and mixed evergreen forests
Ecological Role
Avoided by herbivores due to plant toxicity, though sometimes deer will nibble on the tips of young, tender leaves
Pollinated by a variety of hover flies (Syrphidae), soldier flies (Stratiomyidae), and solitary mining bees (Andrenidae)
Geophtye, meaning it grows from an underground bulb
Geophytes are adapted to survive fire and long, dry summers
Plants can be abundant after fire, with numbers diminishing in following years
Reproduction
Blooms from February to June
Alternative Names
Death Camas, Fremont's Deathcamas, Fremont's Star Lily, Starlily, star zigadene
Additional Information
All parts of this plant contains toxic alkaloids that are poisonous to both humans and livestock
Dried plant parts, especially the seeds and capsules, are even more toxic
It is believed that bread that included flour from ground Toxicoscordian bulbs caused serious illness in several members of the Lewis and Clark expedition, including Captain Lewis
