Ithuriel's Spear

Ithuriel’s spear is a tall-stemmed wildflower that grows from an underground geophyte. The erect, leafless stem is thick and fleshy, growing up to 70 cm tall. The base is ringed by a few slender, grass-like leaves. On top of the stem is a spray of smaller stalks, each of which ends in a spray of blue to purple (occasionally white) flowers. The star-shaped flower is tubular with six sharp pointed petals.

Basic Information

• Member of the Liliaceae (Lily) family

• Perennial herb

• This flower strongly resembles members of the Brodiaea and Dichelostemma genera

Habitat

• Native to the northern and central California, as well as southwestern Oregon

• Primarily grows in open forest glades and woodlands

Ecological Role

• Numerous insects, including bees and butterflies, are attracted to the flowers.

• Some mammals will dig up and eat the corms — rich, nutrient-filled roots

Reproduction

• Blooms from April to June

Alternative Names

• Common triteleia, grassnut

Historical Uses

• The plant grows from a corm, a nutrient rich which is edible and similar in taste and use as the potato

• The Karok, Kashaya Pomo, Yuki, and other tribes all ate the bulbs, roasted or boiled

• The Kashaya Pomo used the flowers in a wreath for the Strawberry Festival, which marked the turning of the seasons

Additional Information

• The most used common name for the species, Ithuriel's spear, is a reference to the angel Ithuriel from Milton's Paradise Lost