12 



BULLETIN 26, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Habitat and range. — Naturalized in this country from Europe, this poisonous 

 weed is now rather common in waste places and along roadsides, principally in 

 the Eastern and Middle States. 



Description. — Poison hemlock is a very dangerous weed, the close resemblance 

 of the leaves to those of parsley often causing it to be mistaken for the latter, 

 with fatal results, all parts of the plant being extremely poisonous. It belongs 

 to the parsley family (Apiacese). 



It is a biennial plant, with hollow, smooth, purple-spotted stem about 2 to 6 

 feet in height, much branched, and large, parsleylike leaves. About June or 



July rather showy, flat- 

 topped clusters of nu- 

 merous small, white flow- 

 ers are produced, meas- 

 uring about 1 to 3 inches 

 across. The fruit, which 

 ripens in August and Sep- 

 tember, is grayish green, 

 about one-eighth of an 

 inch in length, ovate, 

 flattened on the sides, 

 and ribbed. (Fig. 9.j 

 The entire plant has a 

 disagreeable mouselike 

 odor, which becomes es- 

 pecially noticeable when 

 the plant is bruised. 



Collection, uses, and 

 prices. — The fruit of the 

 poison hemlock is official 

 in the United States 

 Pharmacopoeia, and must 

 yield, when assayed by 

 the pharmacopceial proc- 

 ess, not less than 5 per 

 cent of conin. It should 

 be collected while still 

 green but full grown, 

 about August or Septem- 

 ber, carefully dried in a 

 dark but well-ventilated 

 place, and stored in tight 

 cans or boxes so that no light or air can reach it. The odor is not very pro- 

 nounced, except when the fruit has been bruised, when the mousy odor becomes 

 noticeable. The taste is disagreeable and somewhat acrid. Poison hemlock is 

 not fit to be used after having been kept for more than two years. It is a very 

 poisonous drug and is used in excited conditions of the nervous system and in 

 rheumatism, neuralgia, and asthma. The leaves of the poison hemlock are also 

 employed medicinally. 



Poison hemlock fruits bring about 8 to 9 cents a pound. 



Fig. 9. 



-Poison bemlock (Conium. maculatum), ^aves, flow- 

 ers, and fruits. 



