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Camassia quamash
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Common Camas
( Camassia quamash )
Camassia quamash
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
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11 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Common Camas (Camassia quamash)
11 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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Camassia quamash
, commonly known as camas, small camas, common camas, common camash or quamash, is a perennial herb. It is one species of the genus Camassia and 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. In the Great Basin, expanded settlement by whites accompanied by turning cattle and hogs onto camas prairies greatly diminished food available to native tribes and increased tension between Native Americans and settlers and travelers. Both the Bannock and Nez Perce Wars began after Nez Perce became incensed at the failure of the US government to uphold treaties, and at settlers who plowed up their camas prairies, which they depended on for subsistence. Growth pattern. It is a perennial herbaceous monocot with leaves emerging from a persistent bulb in a basal rosette. Leaves, stems, and roots. The stems have a length between 30 and 90 centimetres (12 and 35 in). The leaves are basal and have a grass-like appearance. Inflorescence and fruit. The pale blue to deep blue flowers appear in late spring to early summer (May to June in their native habitat). They are arranged in a raceme at the end of the stem. Each of the radially symmetrical, star-shaped flowers has six petals. Taxonomy.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Perennial herb
Size
1.2 - 2.3 ft tall
Form
Upright
Growth Rate
Moderate
Flower Color
Blue, Purple, Pink, Lavender
Flowering Season
Spring
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun, Part Shade
Moisture
Moderate - High
Nurseries
Carried by 11
Soil Drainage
Fast, Medium, Slow
Soil Description
Tolerant of a variety of garden soils as long as sufficient moisture is available
Propagation
?
For propagating by seed: Sow seeds, enclose seed container in polyethylene bag and refrigerate at less than 41°F. Remove from refrigerator and plastic bag when germination starts or in 3 mos.
Natural Setting
Site Type
meadows, streamsides
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 13.7" - 126.5", Summer Precipitation: 0.35" - 3.85", Coldest Month: 25.6" - 48.9", Hottest Month: 50.2" - 74.9", Humidity: 0.09" - 22.36", Elevation: 12" - 9229"
Alternative Names
Common Names
: Common Camash, Quamash, Small Camas
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Common Camas
Camassia quamash
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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