Anticlea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Melanthiaceae, tribe Melanthieae. Molecular phylogenetic studies in the 21st century have resulted in number of changes to placements within this tribe. Anticlea was long submerged into the genus Zigadenus; however its separate position has been confirmed. Some species were also moved from Stenanthium into Anticlea. (See also Phylogeny of Melanthieae.) Members of Anticlea may also be distinguished from other members of the former genus Zigadenus, the deathcamases, by the presence of narrow tepals with a single, conspicuous, bilobed gland. It also has a wider distribution, occurring in Asia and much of North and Central America, ranging south to Guatemala.Flora of North America, Zigadenus MichauxFlora of China, Vol. 24 Page 85 棋盘花属 qi pan hua shu Zigadenus Michaux, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 1: 213. 1803.
SpeciesBiota of North America Program 2013 county distribution maps Anticlea elegans (syn. Zigadenus elegans) - Elegant camas, alkali grass, mountain deathcamas - W + N United States, Alaska, Canada, Chihuahua Anticlea frigida (syn. Stenanthium frigidum) - Veracruz Anticlea hintoniorum (syn. Zigadenus hintoniorum) - Hinton's deathcamas - Coahuila, Nuevo León, OaxacaTropicos, specimen listing for Zigadenus hintoniorum Anticlea mogollonensis (syn. Zigadenus mogollonensis) - Mogollon deathcamas - New Mexico Anticlea neglecta (syn. Zigadenus neglectus) - Guanajuato, QuerétaroTropicos, Zigadenus neglectus Espejo, López-Ferr. & Ceja Search in The Plant List Anticlea occidentalis (syn. Stenanthium occidentale) - Western featherbells or Bronze-Bells - BC, Alb, Sask, WA, OR, ID, MT, N CA Anticlea sachalinensis (syn. Stenanthium sachalinense) - Khabarovsk, Sakhalin Anticlea sibirica (syn. Zigadenus sibiricus) - much of Russian Federation, China, Mongolia, Korea, Rebun, Rishiri Anticlea virescens (syn. Zigadenus virescens) - Green deathcamas - Colorado + Arizona south to Oaxaca Anticlea volcanica (syn. Zigadenus volcanicus) - Lava deathcamas - C + S Mexico, Guatemala
The genus name of Anticlea is in honour of Anticlea of Ithaca from Greek mythology, Anticlea or Anticlia was a queen of Ithaca as the wife of King Laërtes.
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