WYOMING WATER HEMLOCK. 81 



VIII). The plant differs from the common eastern water hemlock in 

 the more elongated spindling roots and the duller color of its flowers. 

 One striking peculiarity of the root is its characteristic musky odor, 

 which is observed especially when a small quantity of the juice gets 

 upon the fingers. It is generally distributed through the State. Out- 

 side of Montana it is found abundantly in Wyoming and Colorado, 

 and in less quantity from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to the 

 Sierra Nevada of California and northward. 



In Montana the Wyoming water hemlock was observed in every 

 county. Its ordinary habitat is along th^ banks of streams and irri- 

 gation ditches, on wet railroad embankments, and in swamps and wild 

 meadows. In general it was noticed that in portions of the State west 

 of the Rocky Mountains this plant was more abundant in wild 

 meadows, which are cut for hay, than was the case in the eastern part 

 of the State. In Flathead, Missoula, Deerlodge, and Granite counties 

 it grows rather abundantly In many such meadows. In the eastern 

 part of the State, however, as just indicated, the distribution of the 

 plant is almost strictly confined to the banks of streams and irrigation 

 ditches of long standing. 



HISTORY AS A POISONOUS PLANT. 



In Montana this plant is most commonly known by the name "wild 

 parsnip," and it appears that from the use of this name, a mistaken 

 notion has arisen that this is identical with the common parsnip of the 

 garden. A number of cases of poisoning have happened in Montana 

 from eating this species, and since the term wild parsnip is commonly 

 used to designate the cause, it has come to be believed by a large num- 

 ber of persons that the garden parsnip, when allowed to escape from 

 cultivation and run wild, acquires poisonous properties. The two 

 plants should be readily distinguished. The flowers of the garden 

 parsnip are yellow, while those of the water hemlock are white. The 

 latter is a much slenderer and a much less leafy plant than the former, 

 and the leaves of the water hemlock, while of the same general shape, 

 have much finer subdivisions. Not onl}^ water hemlock, but a number 

 of other plants belonging to the pars'nip famil}" are often called by the 

 name of wild parsnip, as if they all belonged to the same species. 

 Among the plants whose identitj^ is thus mistaken ma}' be mentioned 

 the cow parsnip {Ileradeum lanatum) and species of Lomatium, Phel- 

 lopterus, and Leptotaenia. 



The number of cattle poisoned by water hemlock in Montana dur- 

 ing 1900, so far as conclusive evidence could be ol)tained, was 36, and of 

 these 30 died. About 105 sheep were poisoned by it the same year, 

 80 of which died. The percentage of fatal cases, therefore, is very 

 large, being 76 per cent with sheep, and 83 per cent with cattle. The 

 roots of this plant are occasionally eaten by man, usually with fatal 

 S. Doc. 160 6 



