'''Amianthium''' is a genus of
perennial plants growing from
bulbs. It contains one species, '''Amianthium muscitoxicum''', known in English as 'fly poison' from a literal translation of the
Latin ''muscitoxicum'', is noted for its pretty
flowers and its toxic
alkaloid content. While all parts of the plant are poisonous, the bulb is particularly toxic. The scientific name was given to it by Thomas Walter when he published his ''Flora Caroliniana'' in 1788.
References and further reading
★ Appalachian Wildflowers by Thomas E. Hemmerly. University of Georgia Press, ISBN 0-8203-2181-8, states that the bulb was mixed with sugar by colonists to kill flies.
★
NC State University