Mogoll Deathcamas

Description

Anticlea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melanthiaceae, tribe Melanthieae. Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have resulted in number of changes to placements within this tribe. Anticlea was long submerged into the genus Zigadenus; however its separate position has been confirmed. Some species were also moved from Stenanthium into Anticlea.(See also Phylogeny of Melanthieae.) Members of Anticlea may also be distinguished from other members of the former genus Zigadenus, the deathcamases, by the presence of narrow tepals with a single, conspicuous, bilobed gland. It also has a wider distribution, occurring in Asia and much of North and Central America, ranging south to Guatemala Perennial, to 8.5 dm tall from slender ovoid bulbs; basal leaves linear, to 35 cm long; stem leaves fewer and smaller; flowering stem, one per bulb; inflorescence sparsely branched or a single raceme with small leaf-like bracts below each flower that equal or exceed the length of the subtended pedicel; pedicels stout, curved downward when flowering then curved upward in fruit; flowers bell-shaped and nodding; tepals 12-16 mm long, reddish-purple along the margins and blending to yellowish-green at the middle, a greenish-yellow bilobed gland is evident at the interior base of each tepal; ovary partially inferior; capsules erect, 12-15 mm long. Flowers late July to early September.