Atlantic camas

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Atlantic camas leaves

Atlantic camas fruit

Atlantic camas

Atlantic camas flowers

Atlantic camas leaves

Atlantic camas

Atlantic camas

Atlantic camas fruit

Atlantic camas inflorescence

Atlantic camas flowers

Morphology

Stem

Scapes from bulbs.

Leaves

Basal, sessile, simple, linear, blades 3-8, 8 to 24 inches long, .2 to .8 inch wide, blade margins entire.

Inflorescence

Racemes, terminal, 8 to 20 inches, 10-50(-90)-flowered; sterile bracts 0-3(-5), bracts subtending flowers shorter than or equaling pedicels; fruiting pedicels mostly spreading-erect, .3 to 1.2 inch.

Flower

Flowers radially symmetric, spreading; tepals 6, petal-like, distinct, light blue to white, lanceolate to oblanceolate, .28 to .6 inch; stamens 6, filaments distinct.

Fruit

Capsules, pale green to light brown, nearly globose, .25 to .4 inch; seeds black, .08 to .16 inch.

Ecology

Habitat

Mesic tallgrass prairies, swales, glades

Distribution

East 1/3 of Kansas

Practical Information

Uses

Camas bulbs were an important food staple of Native Americans. The bulbs were eaten raw, baked, roasted, boiled in soups, or dried for winter use.

Additional Notes