camass

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cam·as

or cam·ass C0047100 (kăm′əs)n.1. Any of several plants of the genus Camassia, especially C. quamash of western North America, having grasslike leaves, a raceme of blue flowers, and a bulb that has traditionally been an important food for various Native American peoples. Also called quamash.2. Death camas.

[Nez Perce qém'es, qém'eš.]

camass

(ˈkæmæs) or

camas

n1. (Plants) Also called: quamash any of several North American plants of the liliaceous genus Camassia, esp C. quamash, which has a cluster of blue or white flowers and a sweet edible bulb2. (Plants) death camass any liliaceous plant of the genus Zygadenus (or Zigadenus), of the western US, that is poisonous to livestock, esp sheep[C19: from Chinook Jargon kamass, from Nootka chamas sweet]

cam•ass

or cam•as

(ˈkæm əs)

n. 1. any of several plants of the genus Camassia, of the lily family, esp. C. quamash, of W North America, having long clusters of blue to white flowers and edible bulbs. 2. death camass. [1795–1805, Amer.; < Chinook Jargon]

Thesaurus

Noun

camass - any of several plants of the genus Camassia; North and South Americacamas, camash, camosh, quamashliliaceous plant - plant growing from a bulb or corm or rhizome or tuberCamassia, genus Camassia, genus Quamassia, Quamassia - genus of scapose herbs of North and South America having large edible bulbsCamassia quamash, common camas - plant having a large edible bulb and linear basal leaves and racemes of light to deep violet-blue star-shaped flowers on tall green scapes; western North AmericaCamassia leichtlinii, Leichtlin's camas - camas found to the west of Cascade MountainsCamassia scilloides, indigo squill, wild hyacinth - eastern camas; eastern and central North America

camass

camas

(both: kăm`əs), any species of the genus Camassia (or Quamasia), hardy North American plants of the family Lilaceae (lilylily,
common name for the Liliaceae, a plant family numbering several thousand species of as many as 300 genera, widely distributed over the earth and particularly abundant in warm temperate and tropical regions.
..... Click the link for more information. family), chiefly of moist places in the far West, where their abundance has given rise to various place names. The bulbs of the common camass (C. quamash) were a staple food of Northwestern Native Americans; it is now cultivated as an ornamental for its showy blue to white blossoms. Camass, or quamash, was the Native American name. An eastern camass is called wild hyacinth. The death camass (Zygadenus venenosus), with leaves poisonous to sheep, is similar in appearance but distinguishable by having three styles instead of six. Camass is classified in the division MagnoliophytaMagnoliophyta
, division of the plant kingdom consisting of those organisms commonly called the flowering plants, or angiosperms. The angiosperms have leaves, stems, and roots, and vascular, or conducting, tissue (xylem and phloem).
..... Click the link for more information. , class Liliopsida, order Liliales, family Liliaceae.

camass

Related to camass: Camassia leichtlinii

noun

Synonyms for camass

noun any of several plants of the genus Camassia

Synonyms

camas
camash
camosh
quamash

Related Words

liliaceous plant
Camassia
genus Camassia
genus Quamassia
Quamassia
Camassia quamash
common camas
Camassia leichtlinii
Leichtlin's camas
Camassia scilloides
indigo squill
wild hyacinth