Toxicoscordion fremontii

Family / Families: Melanthiaceae
Scientific Name(s): Toxicoscordion fremontii (Torr.) Rydb.
Location(s): Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, near Kenwood, California, USA
Entry Author(s): Daniel Mosquin
Copyright Holder(s): Sandy Steinman@Flickr
Image Permissions: Please contact the copyright holder for permission to use.
Photographer(s) Appreciation: Always appreciative of the effort that Sandy Steinman@Flickr goes to share photographs with us. This Toxicoscordion fremontii provides some contrast with the surrounding landscape.
Tags: California, Liliales, Melanthiaceae, USA, via Flickr

Toxicoscordion fremontii, or star lily

Over eighty percent of Sugarloaf Ridge State Park burned in October of last year. Perhaps the opportunity to see post-fire wildflowers in the stark landscape is what enticed today’s photographer, Sandy Steinman, to visit the area in early April.

The first time I encountered Fremont star lily, I was impressed by its size (height to almost 1m (3 ft.). The species of death-camas that I am more familiar with, Anticlea elegans and Toxicoscordion venenosum, are generally shorter and less robust in stature. Like its relatives, however, it is also poisonous (and please revisit those previous entries for details on the poisons).

In an excellent write-up on Fremont star lily, Michael Wood goes into detail about the taxonomic changes surrounding the genus / family. Additional photographs of Toxicoscordion fremontii, whose range spans from southwest Oregon to northern Baja California, are available via the Pacific Bulb Society.

Botanical garden resource link: “University botanical gardens and arboreta are more than just pretty places” is an article in University Affairs magazine highlighting Canada’s university botanical gardens. It’s an aptly-titled piece!