Work in Progress
|
| The lovely town of Camas is named after the "Camas Lily" (Camassia quamash), a beautiful blue wildflower of the Pacific northwest. Camas bulbs were an important food source for many Native American tribes. These bulbs, which could be used as a vegetable or in bread, often saved tribes from starvation. They are very important plants in the history of this region, including the Lewis & Clark expedition. |
|
Brief History of Camas Lily
Camassia quamash is native to western North America in large areas of southern Canada and the northwestern United States, from British Columbia and Alberta to California and east from Washington state to Montana and Wyoming. Though the once-immense spreads of camas lands have diminished because of modern developments and agriculture, numerous camas prairies and marshes may still be seen today. The specific epithet "quamash" is derived from a Nez Perce Indian term for the plant, specifically referring to the bulbs. In fact, the Nez Perce term, "Qém'es," translates to "sweet," reflecting the plant's bulbs being a sweet and important food source for Native American tribes. The bulbs were harvested and pit-roasted or boiled by women of the Nez Perce, Cree, and Blackfoot tribes.They were also an important food source for the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806).
Camas quamash is classified in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae), which includes the subfamily Agavoideae. Originally, it was placed in the lily family (Liliaceae), but DNA studies have shown it belongs in Asparagaceae. The Jepson Flora of California (Univ. of CA Press) places it in the agave family (Agavaceae) with agaves, yuccas and desert lilies. I wrote the taxonomic treatment for the duckweed family (Lemnaceae) for this book, so I am aware of many surprising changes in plant taxonomy. In fact, because of DNA sequencing studies, the duckweeds now reside in the arum family (Araceae), along with philodendrons and calla lilies! |
 Infamous Star Lily
Zygadenus fremontii |
The bulbs of death camas (Zigadenus venenosus) are quite poisonous to cattle, sheep, and humans if ingested. The bulbs contain zygadenine, a very toxic steroidal alkaloid. In fact, Zigadenus was one of the few genera in the lily family (Liliaceae) in which the bulbs were not eaten by native Americans. According to Fuller and McClintock (Poisonous Plants of California, 1986), one or two pounds of death camas may be sufficient to kill a 100 pound sheep. In addition, bulbs of death camas made into flour reportedly caused serious illness to members of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Several other species of Zigadenus called star lilies are native to the coastal mountains and grasslands of California. You should never gather native bulbs to eat without knowing the ID of plant. I once took a class about early uses of native plants in which instructor misidentified several poisonous wildflowers. This is the only time I ever reported a teacher.
|
|
Wayne's Word Chemistry Page 2 |
| Based on overall appearance, some members of agave family look very different from other species. To be consistent in modern plant taxonmy, plants are grouped into families based on their DNA and not their overall appearance. Computer-generated phylogenetic trees are useful to show the direction of evolution on Earth. For example, the DNA of birds can be traced back to dinosaurs! |
| The following online PDF contains an excellent article about camas written by Elise Krohn, Creative Commons. I have included 2 paragraphs from her excellent report. Her section about regeneration of camas meadows by natural fire & control burning is exactly what I learned at Cal State University, Los Angeles under fire ecologist and my major professor, Dr. Richard J. Vogl. "Ecological Relationships: Camas prairies in our region were originally shaped by massive glaciers about 14,000 years ago and then were sustained by a warming climate and natural fires. These areas offered Native People an open landscape where game could easily be hunted and a food basket of edible plants could be gathered including camas and other lily bulbs, bracken fern rhizomes, lomatium (biscuit root), acorns from oak trees and several types of berries. Medicinal plants including yarrow, kinnickinnick, violet, wild rose and balsamroot flourish there. The prairies are also home to many species of butterflies, birds and small land mammals." "Stories and cultural practices passed down through the generations teach us how prairies have been cultivated like gardens. Techniques including burning, weeding, pruning, selective harvesting, and aerating the soil enhance the growth of many nutritious prairie foods and medicinal plants. Without these practices, most of the prairies would have turned into dense forests thousands of years ago."
|
Sunrise at Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh, Idaho
|
