Camassia scilloides (Rafinesque) Cory. Common name: Wild Hyacinth, Quamash Lily, Eastern Camas Lily. Phenology: Mar-May (-Jun). Habitat: Circumneutral prairies, oak savannas, calcareous glades, woodlands, and forests; eastwards relictual and scattered in circumneutral soils, in GA, VA, and WV on limestone, in NC on slopes and natural levees in rich alluvium along the Roanoke River, in SC over gabbro. Distribution: W. PA and s. ON west to s. WI and e. KS, south to nw. GA (Jones & Coile 1988) and TX, nearly entirely west of the Blue Ridge, with only a few disjunct occurrences in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain.
Origin/Endemic status: Native
Other Comments: The bulb is edible and was an important food source for indigenous Americans and early settlers; however, it resembles that of the potentially fatal Toxicoscordion nuttallii (Diggs et al. 2006).
Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Can, F, FNA26, G, Il, K4, Mi, Mo1, NcTx, NS, Ok, Pa, POWO, RAB, Va, W; = n/a — Tat; < Camassia scilloides (Raf.) Cory — ETx1, Tx; < Quamasia hyacintha (Raf.) Britton — S, S13. Basionym: Cyanotris scilloides Raf. 1818
Links to other floras: = Camassia scilloides - FNA26
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Wetland Indicator Status:
- Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACW (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Great Plains: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Midwest: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
- Northcentral & Northeast: FAC (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
Heliophily ⓘ: 5
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Horticultural Information
Intro: Scapose perennial from a bulb, growing in moist, open forests and sometimes on slopes and natural levees, usually over circumneutral soils.
Stems: Stem a mostly naked flowering stalk; there may be 1 or 2 reduced leaves near the top.
Leaves: Leaves in a basal clump, strap-like, 10-18 in. long.
Inforescence:
Flowers: Flowers in a terminal raceme 5-7 in. long, light lavender to blue, to 1 in. wide, consisting of 6 linear-elliptic tepals with 3 veins, 6 prominent yellow stamens and a green ovary with style.
Fruits: Fruit a 3-sectioned, round capsule containing shiny black seeds.
Comments: Native Americans and early settlers used the bulbs of this plant for food.
Height: 1-2 ft.
plant sale text:
bloom table text:
description: Scapose perennial from a bulb, growing in moist, open forests and sometimes on slopes and natural levees, usually over circumneutral soils.
stems: Stem a mostly naked flowering stalk; there may be 1 or 2 reduced leaves near the top.
leaves: Leaves in a basal clump, strap-like, 10-18 in. long.
inflorescence:
flowers: Flowers in a terminal raceme 5-7 in. long, light lavender to blue, to 1 in. wide, consisting of 6 linear-elliptic tepals with 3 veins, 6 prominent yellow stamens and a green ovary with style.
fruits: Fruit a 3-sectioned, round capsule containing shiny black seeds.
comments: Native Americans and early settlers used the bulbs of this plant for food.
cultural notes:
germination code:
native range: eastern North America
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