Camassia leichtlinii, the great camas or large camas, is a species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae. This herbaceous perennial is native to western North America in British Columbia, Canada and California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, in the United States.[2]
| Camassia leichtlinii | |
|---|---|
| |
| Great camas inflorescence | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Agavoideae |
| Genus: | Camassia |
| Species: | C. leichtlinii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Camassia leichtlinii | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Camassia esculenta var. leichtlinii Baker | |
Description
editGreat camas is a perennial herbaceous plant that grows from a bulb. It can grow 24–48 inches (61–122 cm) tall. Leaves are long and narrow, stemming from the basal rosette. The inflorescence is a spike-like cluster on a leafless stem that is held above the leaves.[3] It can be mistaken for the more common Camassia quamash, which has an overlapping range.
Ecology
editIt needs consistent moisture in the spring, but will not be harmed by seasonal drought after the seed pods mature and the leaves dry out.[3] Camas stands can benefit from seasonal fires as well, as they aid in regeneration and reduce competition from brush and weeds.[3]
Uses
editThe bulbs are edible, but must be baked at length. Traditionally, they were cooked in fire pits for at least three hours, and ideally for between one and three days. Caution should be taken not to confuse this species with the deadly meadow death-camas.[4]
References
edit- ^ "Camassia leichtlinii". NatureServe Explorer. NatureServe. Retrieved 2018-04-07.
- ^ "Comprehensive Report Species -". explorer.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
- ^ a b c "Great Camas" (PDF). December 5, 2000. Retrieved April 10, 2018.
- ^ Nyerges, Christopher (2017). Foraging Washington: Finding, Identifying, and Preparing Edible Wild Foods. Guilford, CT: Falcon Guides. ISBN 978-1-4930-2534-3. OCLC 965922681.