Poison Hemlock (Spotted Hemlock,
Poison Parsley, Musquash Root)
Conium maculatum
Family: Apiaceae
TOXIC!!!
Biennial. Native to Europe and Asia, escaped to the entire northern
temperate zone. I know. I know, the plant is very poisonous and will
spread. But there are good reasons for disseminating true seed of
Conium, if for no other reason than to identify it in order to avoid it.
Also, it has a long history of use as a poison (fatally administered, for
instance, to Socrates) and as a curative and sedative agent. I can
personally attest to its virulence, as my right hand went pleasantly warm
then partially numb in the process of harvesting and cleaning these seeds.
Both the leaves and the seeds contain a complex array of alkaloids, including
the very active and poisonous conline, which when administered in high
enough dosage causes weakness, drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, labored respiration,
paralysis and eventually death. Historically, minute dosages
of the freshly prepared tincture of dried seeds or leaves or low dosage
of the fresh plant succus were used for calming nervous excitation and
restlessness, and for relieving neuralgic or rheumatic pain. Cultivation:
Easy. Sow seed in early spring, in the greenhouse or directly in the garden.
Barely cover, tamp down and keep moist until germination. Grows from 3
to 15 feet tall.
WARNING: The plant must be kept away
from young children and away from garden edibles which might be confused
with it (e.g. carrots, caraway, parsley, chervil, etc.).
Return
to Herb Seed Index