Melanthiaceae FAMILY

Amianthium muscitoxicum

Edibility

0/5

Medicinal

2/5

Safety & Hazards

All parts of the plant are highly toxic, containing the alkaloids jervine and amianthine[ 200 Title The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. Publication Author Huxley. A. Publisher MacMillan Press Year 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5 Description Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed. , 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]

Botanical Description

Amianthium muscitoxicum is a herbaceous perennial plant producing a cluster of lance-shaped leaves and an unbranched flowering stem up to 120cm tall from an underground bulb about 50mm long and 25mm wide. The bulb divides, forming in time a clump of growth with several flowering stems[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ]. The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and pesticide.

Habitat & Origin

Origintemperate

Native RangeEastern N. America - New York to Florida.

HabitatDry or mesic wooded slopes, meadows and savannahs; at elevations from sea level to 1,500 metres[ 270 Title Flora of N. America Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/fna/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description An on-line version of the flora with an excellent description of the plant including a brief mention of plant uses. ].