CictJTA. UMBELLIFER.E. 267 



COWBANE. 



6. CICUTA. Linn.; Lam. ill. t. 193; Endl. gen. 4391. 



[A name given by the Latins to the hollow joints of the reed, of which they made their pipes. It was afterwards applied 

 to this genus on account of its fistular stems.] 



Margin of the calyx S-toothed ; the teeth acute. Petals obcordate ; the point inflexed. Fruit 

 roundish, laterally contracted, somewhat didymous. Carpels with 5 flattish equal ribs ; the 

 lateral ones marginal. Intervals filled with large single vittE. Commissure with 2 vittK. 

 Carpophore 2-parted. Seed terete. — Perennial, smooth, poisonous plants, with hollow 

 stems, growing in water or in swamps. Leaves tripinnately or triternately divided. In- 

 volucre few-leaved, or none. Involucels many-leaved. Flowers white. 



1. CicuTA MACULATA, Linfi. Water Hemlock. Sjwffed Cotcbatie. 



Roots thick, oblong, fleshy ; stem streaked with purple ; leaves biternately divided ; seg- 

 ments lanceolate, mucronately serrate. — Linn. sp. 1. p. 255 ; Piirsh,Jl. 1. ;>. 195 ; Ell. sk. 1 . 

 p. 257; Bigel. med. hot. I. t. 12, and Jl. Bost. p. 115; Torr. fl. \. p. 308; DC. prodr. 4. 

 p. 99; Beck, hot. p. 142; Darlingt. fl. Cest. p. 185; Torr. 4- Gr. Jl. N. Am. l.p. 610. 



Root consisting of several fleshy diverging tubers, about the thickness of the finger. Stems 

 3-6 feet high, finely streaked with glaucous green and purple, sometimes spotted, at other 

 times almost entirely purple ; or, when growing in the shade, wholly green. Lower leaves 

 on long petioles, the primary divisions ternate or quinate ; the leaflets in each division 5-7, 

 lowest ones often deeply 2 - 3-lobed, all of them petiolulate ; primary veins terminating in 

 the notches (instead of the points) of the serratures (as first noticed by Dr. Bigelow). Rays 

 of the umbel 15 - 20 or more, slender, li - 2 inches long. Involucre usually none, or only 

 one or two small leaflets. Involucels of 5 - 6 linear leaflets. Fruit about a line and a half 

 in diameter, nearly orbicular, aromatic, and somewhat resembling anise : ribs broad and 

 prominent, yellowish-brown, lateral ones broadest : intervals purplish. 



In swamps ; very common. Fl. July - August. Fr. September.— The root of fhis plant 

 is the most dangerous vegetable poison indigenous to the United States. It is frequently the 

 cause of death in children, who mistake it for the "Sweet Cicely," or Osmorhiza longistylis. 

 In the western part of the State, it is known by the name of Beaver poison, or Musquash. 

 The active principle has not been insulated, but it is probably similar to the conicine, or the 

 poisonous alkaline material of Conium. 



2. CicuTA BULniFERA, Linn. Bulbiferous Water Hemlock. 



Roots thick, oblong, fleshy ; axils of the branches and uppermost leaves bulbiferous ; leaves 



bi-trilernalcly divided ; segments linear and linear-lanceolate, remotely and acutely toothed. 



Linn. sp. l.p. 255 ; Micluc.jl. l.p. 165 ; Null. gen. l.p. 192 ; Torr.fl. l.p, 308; Bigel. 

 fl. Bost. p. 1 15 ; DC. prodr. 4. p. 99 ; Torr. ^ Gr. fl,. N. Am. 1. p. GIO. 



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