CICUTA, OR WATER HEMLOCK. 5 



For comparison with the diagnosis of Cicuta there follows a diag- 

 nosis of Conium compiled from Gray's Manual: ^ 



A biennial umbellifer with spotted stems, large decompound leaves with, lanceolate 

 pinnatifid leaflets. Involucre and involucels of narrow bracts, flowers white. Fruit 

 ovate, flattened at the sides, glabrous, with prominent wavy ribs; oil tubes none, but 

 a layer of secreting cells next the seed, the face of which is deeply and narrowly 

 concave. 



Leaves and flowers of water hemlock {Cicuta vagans) are shown 

 in Plate I, while a young plant of the same species is illustrated in 

 Plate II. For comparison, a branch of Conium maculatum is shown 

 in Plate III. 



It will be seen that Cicuta and Conium are clearly distinguished 

 morphologically by the leaves and fruit and by the presence of an 

 involucre in Conium and its absence in Cicuta. These character- 

 istics, however, are hardly sufficient to enable one unskilled in botany 

 to make the distinction readily. 



A peculiarity of the rootstock which is not mentioned by the sys- 

 tematic botanists makes it comparatively easy to distinguish Cicuta 

 from any other umbellifer that is likely to be found in the same 

 locality. If the rootstock is cut longitudinally there will be seen, 

 more or less clearly, a number of transverse chambers, as shown in 

 Plate II. 



These chambers are not as distinct in the spring as later in the sea- 

 son, but they can always be recognized. This peculiarity of the 

 root was noted in Flora Danica in 1765, a figure showing the cham- 

 bers. They were mentioned by Trumel, 1838, and Maly, 1844, and 

 have been figured by a number of more recent authors. It should be 

 noted, too, that while Conium grows in fields and waste places, Cicuta 

 grows in wet places, like swamps and along irrigating ditches, the 

 old specific name aquatica being a particularly appropriate one. 



POPULAR NAMES. 



Among English-speaking people the Cicuta is most commonly 

 known as ''water hemlock" or "cowbane." Other names are 

 ''parsnip" (or "wild parsnip"), "snakeroot," "spotted hemlock," 

 "spotted parsley," "snakeweed," "beaver poison," "musquash 

 root," and "muskrat weed." 



In New Mexico it has been known as "pecos." According to 

 Muhlenberg, an Indian name was "utcum." 



Among the Germans it is known as "Wasserschierling," some- 

 times as "giftiger Schierling." "Schierling" seems to be more 

 commonly applied to Conium, although apparently this distinction 

 between "Wasserschierling" and "Schierling" is not always made. 

 It is also known as "Wtiterich," "giftiger Wiiterich," "Parzen- 

 kraut," "Tollkraut," and "Tollrube." 



1 Seventh edition, p. 613. 



