Which Camassia Is This?
Jane McGary via pbs (Thu, 21 May 2020 11:18:24 PDT)
The way you distinguish Camassia cusickii from C. leichtlinii is to
observe the withered flowers. In cusickii the tepals wither separately
to the base, and in leichtlinii the tepals twist around and remain kuind
of clasping the ovary. Hitchcock & Cronquist's Flora of Oregon also
remarks that the bulbs of C. cusickii are "ill-smelling, very
mucilaginous and foul-tasting," while those of C. leichtlinii are
relatively inoffensive. C. quamash was the one most used for food.
Jane McGary, Portland, Oregon, USA
On 5/21/2020 10:43 AM, Judy Glattstein via pbs wrote:
Don't remember when or where I obtained this camassia but it was a
while ago. In my garden notes I seem to refer to it as Camassia
cusickii and also as C. leichtlinii 'Alba' Anyone have an opinion? TIA
Judy in beautifully sunny New Jersey where there was just a night in
the high 30s Fahrenheit. In middling late May! And all the cannas
nicely tucked away in the garage are demanding to be planted. Why oh
why did I save everything - CC musaefolia, flaccida Purpurea,
Tropicana and Pretoria (unless it is actually Bengal Tiger) that I dug
last fall? Multiple storage crates, now needing to fill multiple pots.
Perhaps I shall keep a machete by the front door . . .
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