Camassia
/kəˈmæsiə/noun
A genus of North American flowering plants in the asparagus family, known for star-shaped blue or white flowers and edible bulbs in some species.
Did you know?Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest traditionally gathered and cooked Camassia bulbs, but confusing them with poisonous death camas could cause severe illness or death.
Etymological Timeline
Pre-contact era
Indigenous North American languages
q̓əmash / qém’es
“A traditional Indigenous name for the camas plant or its edible bulb; the precise source language is discussed in botanical and linguistic references.”
18th Century
Chinook Jargon
kamass / camas
“A regional trade-language name for the camas plant, adopted from Indigenous usage.”
18th–19th Century
English
camas / quamash
“Names used by English-speaking explorers and settlers for the blue-flowered plant and its edible bulb.”
1832
Botanical Latin
Camassia
“Robert Sweet established the botanical genus name Camassia, based on the North American plant’s established vernacular name.”
Modern English
English
Camassia
“The accepted genus name for several North American bulbous flowering plants, including common camas and great camas.”