A loose cluster with 10–30 creamy-greenish flowers blooms along a 1–2-foot tall stem from a basal cluster of grass-like leaves. Note the heart-shaped, yellow to green glands at the base of the petals. Named for a good reason, the small, lily-like plants of this family contain deadly poisonous alkaloids, especially the root stock. Two bulbs can be fatal.

FLOWERS: June–July. Creamy to greenish white flowers alternate up the bloom stalk on short stems. Flowers spread open 5/8–3/4-inch (15–20 mm) wide with 6 petal-like tepals 1/4–1/2-inch (7–11 mm) long with yellow to green, heart-shaped glands at base, tips rounded to notched; 6 erect stamens as long as the tepals.

LEAVES: Basal from bulbs. Blades linear, grass-like, 4–12-inches (10–30 cm) long, 1/8–5/8-inch (3–15 mm) wide; steam leaves greatly reduced.

HABITAT: Moist, sandy, gravelly, soils, limestone loam; ponderosa forests , aspen, subalpine forests, mountain meadows.

ELEVATION: 6,500–12,500 feet.

RANGE: Western mountains from Texas to Canada.

SIMILAR SPECIES: The flower stem of Green Death Camas, A. virescens, in much the range and elevation, has well-developed branches and smaller petal-like tepals 1/8–1/4 inch (4–6 mm) long. Medow Death Camas, Toxicoscordion venenosus, in no. NM, has oval basal spots on the petals.

NM COUNTIES: Nearly statewide, except eastern plains, in NM mountains at mid- to high- elevation habitats: Bernalillo, Catron, Cibola, Colfax, Grant, Lincoln, Los Alamos, McKinley, Moro, Otero, Rio Arriba, San Juan, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Sandoval, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Union, Valencia.