Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1927-05-06
DEATH CANVAS IS
EASILY DETECTED
(From Montana state ColIege)

bhatt oitCSC
nNE of the most deadly of all plants
on our ranges is death camas. This
~ plant grows singly and has long.
slender, almost grass-like leaves
that grow in a dense cluster from q bulb
two or three inches under the ground.
In the center Of this leaf cluster is an
unbranched flower stalk six inches to a
foot or more high. The flowers are num-
erous are attached to the sides of
this stalk aleng its upper one-fourth.
They are about o~ne-fourth inc in diam
eter, yeilowish-white, with three sepals
and three petals and open in late May
and June. The seeds ripen In July and
terminate the next spring. producing
small, leafy plants without flowers. Dur
ing the summer the bulb Is formed which
sends up the flower stalk the following
spring.
The poisonous principle of death camas
Is an alkaloid known as zygadenine which
is found in all parts Of the plant.
Death camas is sometimes confused
with wild onion but the two are easily
distinguishable. The characteristic odor
of the onion Is not found In death camas
and all the flowers of the onion are at
tached to one point at the tip of the
stem.
Distribution
Death camas is widely distributed
throughout the northwest. 1t may be
loullu Oh NIL phTIS Oh our ranges except
the driest portions but it thrives best
on rich, moist bottom lands and the low
err foothills. Death camas is readily de-
stroyed by cultivation, but 1t is seldom
practicable to try to e~Xterlninate II from
the u~nbroken prairie.
Animals Affected
This plant is poisonous principally to
sheep. Horses are seldom, If ever, affect
ed. Cattle are occasionally poisoned but
not many die and poisoning occurs only
when cattle are forced to Craze closely
In an area where the plants are unusual
ly abundant.
Symptoms
Poisoned sheep breathe fast n con-
vulsively, froth at the mouth, stagger
and reel when moved and finally get
down and become unconscious. After
reaching this stage, very few recover,
though they may be in a state of coma
for as long as two or three days. Sheep
that lave eaten only a small amount of
the plant may show the preliminary
symptoms and hen recover, but the
amount OF the plant necessary to kill a
sheep is quite small, and most cases of
poisoning result fatally.
There is no medical or other treatment
known that will save sheep poisoned with
death camas. Pastures heavily infested
with the plant should be avoided during
the early spring, or at least until the
pidnI ltdIltS Tie DlOSSOnlIlE stage. Sucl
pastures are very dangerous, even though
grass is plentiful, but more dangerous If
overgrazed.
No definite dates can be stated for the
period 'rhen death camas may be dam
gerous 10 sheep. In a meadow of low
altitude the plants may be withered and
harmless, while at higher attitudes a
short distance away they may be more
immature.
Swamp Camas
Swamp camas closely resembles death
camas. Differing principally in having
flowers about twice as large, greenish in
color with a purplish tint at the base,
and more widely separated on the main
stem. 1t is more restricted to wet ground
and is often found at high attitudes in
wet, open places in the forest. 1t con
tains the same poisonous alkaloid as
death camas but is moi nearly SO album
dant and poisoning is correspondingly
less frequent.
Editors Note: This is one of a series
of articles dealing with poisonous plants
of Montana. A bulletin, plants Poi
sonous to Livestock in Montana by H..
E. Morris and DIR. Howard WEIGH, from
the above is taken may be OBJ
tanned from county agricultural agents
or from the Montana experiment station.