IRRITANT POISONS 43 



(ENANTHE CROCATA (British). 73. 



WATER HEMLOCK — HEMLOCK DROPWORT — DEAD TONGUE — 

 BELDER ROOT — BEN DOCK. 



Umbelliferce. — Leaflets all wedge-shaped, many cleft. — 

 Fruit linear-oblong with slender ridges. — River-sides; much 

 like celery before flowering; 3-5 ft. ; perennial. — July; white. — 

 Acrid. (Fatalities.) 



Toxic Principle.— (EN ANTKJN. 



Moot of hemlock digg'^d i' the dark. — Shakespeare: " Macbeth.'*'' 



(ENANTHE PHELLANDRIUM. 

 PHELLANDRIUM AQUATICUM (British). 74. 



HORSE BANE. 



Umbelliferce. — Leaflets with many, narrow, wedge-shaped 

 segments. — Subaqueous leaves hair-like. — Fruit ovate with 

 broad ridges. — Ditches; 2-3 ft.; perennial. — June and July; 

 pinkish. — Acrid. 



Toxic Principle.— (EN ANTUm. 



Neu desunt epulis rosce 

 Neu vivax apium neu 

 Breve lilium. 



Horace: " Lib. I. Ode, xxxvi." 



(ENANTHE FLUVIATttlS (British). 75. 



RIVER WATER DROPWORT. 



Umbelliferce. — Stem leaves pinnate, tubular. — Root throw- 

 ing out runners. — Styles very long when in fruit. — Ditches; 

 perennial; 2-3 ft. — July and August; pinkish. — Acrid. 



Toxic Principle. — (ENANTHIN, also contained in 0. fistu- 

 losa. 



Do not chew the hemlock rank 

 Growing on the weedy hank ; 

 But the yellow cowslip eat. 

 That will make the butter sweet. 



Jane Taylor: " The Cow.''' 



