Camassia scilloides

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Asparagaceae
Subfamilia: Agavoideae
Genus: Camassia
Species: Camassia scilloides
Name

Camassia scilloides (Raf.) Cory, Rhodora 38: 405. 1936, "scillioides"
Synonyms

Basionym
Cyanotris scilloides Raf., Amer. Monthly Mag. & Crit. Rev. 1: 356. 1817.
Homotypic
Quamasia scilloides (Raf.) Raf., First Cat. Gard. Transylv. Univ.: 15. 1824.
Heterotypic
Camassia esculenta (Ker Gawl.) B.L.Rob., Rhodora 10: 31. 1908, nom. illeg.
Camassia fraseri Torr., Pacif. Railr. Rep. Parke, Bot. 4(4): 91. 1857.
Camassia hyacinthina (Raf.) E.J.Palmer & Steyerm., Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 22: 502. 1935.
Camassia scilloides f. petersenii Steyerm., Rhodora 40: 178. 1938.
Lemotrys hyacinthina Raf., Fl. Tellur. 3: 51. 1837.
Ornithogalum nuttallianum Kunth, Enum. Pl. 4: 372. 1843.
Ornithogalum texanum Scheele, Linnaea 23: 146. 1850.
Oxytria texana (Scheele) Pollard, Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 24: 407. 1897.
Phalangium luteum Nutt., Gen. N. Amer. Pl. 1: 220. 1818.
Quamasia hyacinthina (Raf.) Britton in Britton & A.Br., Ill. Fl. N. U.S. 1: 423. 1896.
Schoenolirion texanum (Scheele) A.Gray, Amer. Naturalist 10: 427. 1876.
Scilla esculenta Ker Gawl., Bot. Mag. 38: t. 1574. 1813.
Scilla fraseri (Torr.) A.Gray, Manual, ed. 5: 533. 1867.
Stilla carolinensis W.Young, Cat. Arbr. Amer.: 55. 1783, nom. nud.
Camassia scilloides f. variegata Steyerm., Rhodora 51: 116. 1949.
Camassia scilloides f. candida McGregor, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci. 60: 161. 1957.

Distribution
Native distribution areas:
References

Cory, V.L. 1936. New names and new combinations for Texas plants. Rhodora 38(455): 404–408. JSTOR Hybrid open access journal BHL Reference page.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2013. Camassia scilloides in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2013 Oct 18. Reference page.
USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Camassia scilloides in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.
USDA NRCS PLANTS Profile

Camassia scilloides is a perennial herb known commonly as Atlantic camas, wild hyacinth,[2] and eastern camas.[3] It is native to the eastern half of North America, including Ontario and the eastern United States.[3]

Description

The species produces inflorescences up to half a meter tall from a bulb 1–3 centimetres (0.39–1.18 in) wide.[4] It has a few leaves each up some 20–60 cm (7.9–23.6 in) long.[4] The flowers have light blue or whitish tepals and yellow anthers. The green or brown capsule is up to a centimeter long[3] and divided into three parts.[4]
Uses

Native American groups used the bulbs for food, eating them raw, baked, roasted, boiled, or dried.[5] They can be used in place of potatoes, but could possibly be confused for poisonous deathcamas.[4]
Taxonomy

The superseded name Camassia esculenta (Ker Gawl.) B.L.Rob., (nom. illeg.)[6] should not be confused with Camassia esculenta (Nutt.) Lindl., a superseded name for Camassia quamash subsp. quamash.[7]
References

Rhodora 10: 31 (1908)
Camassia scilloides. NatureServe. 2012.
Camassia scilloides. Flora of North America.
Elias, Thomas S.; Dykeman, Peter A. (2009) [1982]. Edible Wild Plants: A North American Field Guide to Over 200 Natural Foods. New York: Sterling. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-4027-6715-9. OCLC 244766414.
Camassia scilloides. Native American Ethnobotany. University of Michigan, Dearborn.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Camassia esculenta (Ker Gawl.) B.L.Rob.
World Checklist of Selected Plant Families: Camassia esculenta (Nutt.) Lindl.