Scientific Name
Conium maculatum
Common Name
Poison hemlock, poison fool's parsley

HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!

Characteristics

Family
Apiaceae
Plant Description
Biennial herb with a smooth, purple-spotted or -lined, hollow stem; taproot solid and parsnip-like; leaves large, 3-4-pinnately divided, the leaflets very small; flowers small, white, in umbrella-like clusters.
Origin
Europe.
Distribution
Naturalized in USA, NC.
Where Found
Forest or natural area at edge of ponds, creeks, marshes; weedy in disturbed areas and waste places, marshy areas and ditches.
Mode
Ingestion.
Poisonous Part
All parts. Leaves mistaken for parsley and seeds mistaken for anise. "Cup of hemlock" once used by early Greeks for capital punishment.
Symptoms
Salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, muscular weakness, paralysis, nervousness, trembling, dilation of pupils, weak pulse, convulsions, coma.
Toxic Principle
Alkaloids coniine and others.
Severity
HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!

"Poisonous Plants of North Carolina," Dr. Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science; Dr. James W. Hardin, Botany; Dr. Larry Grand, Plant Pathology; and Dr. Angela Fraser, Family and Consumer Sciences; North Carolina State University. All Pictures Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell, James W. Hardin, Larry Grand. Computer programming, Miguel A. Buendia; graphics, Brad Capel.

Disclaimer: The list of poisonous plants on this web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known, or that might be found in an urban landscape or home. North Carolina State University does not advise eating any of the plants included in this web site. The information concerning edibility is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. In cases of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

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