What is "camassia"

Camassia \Camassia\ n. a genus of scapose herbs of North and South America having large edible bulbs.

Syn: genus Camassia, Quamassia, genus Quamassia.

n. Any of the genus ''Camassia'' of flowering plants, the camases.

Camassia is a genus of plants in the asparagus family native to Canada and the United States. Common names include camas, quamash, Indian hyacinth, camash, and wild hyacinth.

It grows in the wild in great numbers in moist meadows; they are perennial plants with basal linear leaves measuring in length, which emerge early in the spring. They grow to a height of , with a multi-flowered stem rising above the main plant in summer. The six-petaled flowers vary in color from pale lilac or white to deep purple or blue-violet. Camas can appear to color entire meadows when in flower.