The delicate little blooms of the Mountain Death Camas (Anticlea elegans) belie the deadly nature of this plant, all parts of which contain alkaline poisons that may be even more deadly than strychnine. The Mountain Death Camas and its even deadlier cousin, the Meadow Death Camas, both bear a strong resemblance to edible plants such as onions, sego lilies, fritillaries, and wild hyacinths when the plants are only a few inches high, so it’s best not to go around picking plants willy nilly for consumption in the Rocky Mountains in the spring unless you REALLY know what you’re doing. This member of the lily family can be found blooming in Colorado’s montane to sub-alpine zones between June and August.
Mountain Death Camas, Caribou Ranch, July 2011
Mountain Death Camas, Goose Creek Trail, Lost Creek Wilderness Area, July 2011
I’ve been following this series for a few days now and am enjoying it very much! I’ve never been a forager in the wild (except for raspberries, of course!) and am now pretty sure that won’t be changing… The flower certainly deserves the elegans in its name, at any rate. Beautiful photos.
Thanks for your comments, Stacy! I took a gander at your blog as well and thoroughly enjoy it. Your macro photos are wonderful!!