Camassia quamash (Pursh) Greene

Bulbs seldom clustered, globose, 1–5 cm diam. Leaves usually fewer than 10, 1–6 dm × 4–20 mm. Inflorescences 20–80 cm; sterile bracts absent, bracts subtending flowers usually equaling or exceeding pedicel. Flowers usually zygomorphic, sometimes actinomorphic; tepals withering separately or connivent over capsules after anthesis, long-persistent on fruiting racemes, blue or bluish violet, each 3–9-veined, 12–35 × 1.5–8 mm; anthers usually yellow, sometimes bluish violet, violet, or brown, 2.5–7 mm; fruiting pedicel mostly incurving-erect, occasionally spreading-erect, 5–70 mm. Capsules not deciduous, pale green to pale brown, ovoid, 6–19 mm. Seeds 5–10 per locule. 2n = 30.

Coastal mountain forests, wet meadows, fields and rocky coastal bluffs; at elevations up to 2,500 metres. Subsp azurea is found in alluvial plains, meadows, light, well-drained prairie soils;at elevations up to 200 metres.

The bulbous root is eaten raw, boiled or baked. They can be used in pies. They can be boiled down to a syrup or pounded into cakes that are sun dried for future use. Caution: This plant should not be confused with death camass (Zigadenus venenosus).

The bulbs are planted 10 cm deep and plants spaced 20-25 cm apart.