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CONIUM MACULATUM, 
Common, Greater, or Spotted Hemlock* 
Class Pentandria. — Order Digynia. 
Nat. Ord. Umbellate, Linn. Umbellifer^, Juss. 
Gen. Char. Tnvolucella 3-leaved, placed all on one side. 
Petals heart-shaped . Fruit nearly globular, 5-ribbed and 
furrowed ; the ribs crenate. 
Spec. Char. Stem &moo\\\ and spotted. ^Seec?* striated.. 
The Conium Maculatum f is a biennial, umbelliferous plant, 
indigenous to Britain, and many parts of Europe ; it is very common 
in many parts of England, and is usually found growing on the shady 
sides of fields, under hedges, and where the ground is cool and 
moist ; it often rises to the height of several feet, flowering in June 
and July ; and soon after the seeds ripert, the leaves and the stalks 
wither. 
As there are several other plants which bear a very great re- 
semblance to hemlock, some of which are very virulent poisons, it 
requires much circumspection in those who gather it for medicinal 
purposes, and attenlion to its distinguishing characters. The roots 
are long and tapering, the thickness of a finger, in form resem- 
bling a young carrot, the colour of a parsnip, and contains when 
young a milky fluid ; the stalk is smooth, shining, hollow, and 
sprinkled with reddish purple spots, and much branched ; the leaves 
are large, supported on long thick footstalks, the lower ends of 
which embrace the stems; the leaves are compound, and very 
much resemble those of parsley, (which has given rise to many fatal 
accidents); the leaflets are small, sessile, lancet-shaped, and notched ; 
the umbels are terminal, and compound ; the general involucrum is 
composed of from three to seven leaflets, which are reflected and 
membranous towards the base ; the invollucellum is composed of 
* Fig. a. represents a sprig of the natural size, shewing the flower and fruit, h. The 
lower part of the stem and root. c. A seed. d. The involacella. e. The involucrum 
/. A flower fnagnified. 
f The Maculatum is the only species of Conium that is a native of Britain, three 
exotic species of Conium are cultivated in our botanic gardens. 
