kids encyclopedia robot

Mountain deathcamas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Mountain deathcamas
Anticlea elegans (Glacier National Park, Montana - 2006).jpg
Scientific classification
Genus:
Anticlea (plant)
Species:
elegans
Synonyms

Zigadenus elegans Pursh

Anticlea elegans, formerly Zigadenus elegans, is also known as mountain deathcamas, elegant camas or "alkali grass". It is not a grass (though its leaves are grass-like), but belongs to the trillium family, Melanthiaceae.

It has white lily-like flowers and two-pronged, greenish-yellow glands on each petal (the shape of which can help in distinguishing it from other members of the genus). It is widely distributed throughout North America and occurs in many habitats. Plants on the western side of the continent tend to be smaller in size than their eastern counterparts, but have more densely clustered flowers. The plant is extremely poisonous.

Meriwether Lewis, while on the course of his expedition in 1806, collected a specimen near the Blackfoot River.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Anticlea elegans para niños

kids search engine
Mountain deathcamas Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.