About Stenanthium densum (Desr.) Zomlefer & Judd
Stenanthium densum (Desr.) Zomlefer & Judd is a spectacular yet poisonous monocot wildflower native to the pine barrens of the eastern United States. It has several common names: Osceola's plume, crowpoison, and black snakeroot. Taxonomic sources vary on Stenanthium leimanthoides, treating it either as a synonym of this species or as a distinct separate species. This plant is native to the southernmost Gulf Coast, starting from eastern Louisiana and moving east, extending through most of Florida, and reaching north along the easternmost Atlantic Coast to Rhode Island. It is rarely found far from the coast. In the plant family Melanthiaceae, it is classified in the tribe Melanthieae. 21st-century molecular phylogenetic studies led to major rearrangement of species within this tribe, with many species moved to different genera. In older botanical sources, this species is still found under its previous placement in the genus Zigadenus, listed as Z. densum.
