JEthus a 
jETHUSA Linntei Gen . PI. Pentandria Digynia. 
Ran Syn. Gen. t r. Umbellifera: Herba:. 
aETHUSA C Cynapium ) foliis conformibus. Linntei Syft. Vegetal, i. i\ 6 . Flor. Suecic. t>. 02. 
uETHUSA. Haller, bi/l. n. 765. 
CICUTA minor petrofelino fimilis. Bauhln. Pin. p. 160. 
CICUTARIA Apii folio. I. Bauhin. 
CICUTARIA tenuifolia Gerard, emac. 1063. 
CICUTA minor five fatua Parkinfon. 933. Rail Syn. p. 215. the lefier Hemlock or Fool’s Parfley. Scopoll 
FI. Carntol. p. 206. Hudfon FI. Angl. p. 107. Hill’s Britijh Herbal fmall Hemlock tab. 58. 
icon pejjima. 
RADIX annua , fufiformis, alba, minimi digiti craffitudine, 
paucis fibris inftruda. 
CAULIS pedalis ad bipedalem, eredus, ramofus, ftriatus, 
fiftulofus, glaucus, verfus bafinfiepe purpureus, 
non vero maculatus. 
FOLIA radicalia et ramea conformia, laevia, fuperne 
atro-vir entia, inferne pallidiora, nitentia, dupli- 
cato-pinnata, pinnis pinnatifidis, profunde in- 
cifis, pinnulis ovato-acutis, mucronatis. Vagince 
ad bafin petiolorum parvas, laeves, marginibus 
membranaceis. 
PETIOLI eredi, fulcati. 
UMBELLA univerfalis patens, radiis interioribus per 
gradus brevioribus, intimis breviffimis ; partialis 
univerfali fimilis. 
INVOLUCRUM univerfale nullum , partiale dimidiatum, 
extus pofitum, foliolis tribus longijjimis linearibus 
pendulis , fg. 1 . 
COROLLA : Petala quinque, alba, obcordata, in- 
asqualia, apice inflexa, exteriora majora, fg. 2. 
STAMINA: Filamenta quinque, 'alba, longitudine 
corollas, inflexa: Antherje albas, nonnunquam 
rubellas, fg. 3. 
PISTILLUM : Germen inferum, glandula virefcente 
coronatum : Styli duo, primum eredi, dein 
deflexi: Stigmata obtufa, fg. 4. 
PERICARPIUM nullum : Fructus ovato-fubrotundus, 
ftriatus, bipartibilis, fg. 5. 
SEMINA duo, pallide fufca, hinc convexa, profunde 
ftriata, hinc plana, figura Ovato-acut& notata, 
te- & 
ROOT annual , tapering, of a white colour, about the 
thicknefs of the little fnger, furnifhed with few 
fibres. 
STALK from one to two feet high, upright, branched, 
flriated or (lightly grooved, hollow, covered 
with a blueifh kind of powder which eafily 
wipes off, towards the bottom frequently of a 
purple colour, but not /potted. 
LEAVES : the bottom leaves and thole of the branches 
fimilar, fmooth, on the upper fide of a dark 
green colour, underneath paler and fhining, twice 
pinnated, the leaves pinnatifid and deeply cut 
in, the fmall leaves or pinnulas oval and termi- 
nating in a fine point. The Sheaths JK: the 
bafe of the foot-ftalks fmall, fmooth and mem- 
branous at the edges. 
FOOT-STALKS of the flowers, upright and grooved. 
UMBEL : the univerfal umbel fpreading, the inner 
radii gradually (horter, the inmoft very (hort ; 
the partial umbel like the univerfal. 
INVOLUCR 0 M : the univerfal Involucrum wanting, 
the partial one placed externally, and only 
furrounding one half of the umbel, compofed of 
three very long , linear, and pendulous leaves, fig. 1 . 
COROLLA: five unequal, heart-lhaped, white Petals, 
bent in at top, the outer ones largeft, fig. 2. 
STAMINA : five white Filaments the length of the 
Corolla, bending in: Anthers white, fome- 
times reddidi, fig. 3. 
PISTILLUM: Germen placed below the corolla, and 
crowned by a glandular fubftance of a greenifli 
colour : two Styles firft upright, afterwards 
bending downward : Stigmata blunt, fig. 4. 
SEED-VESSEL wanting : the Fruit or unripe feed of 
an oval roundilh (hape, ftriated, and dividing 
into two parts, fig. 5. 
SEEDS two, of a pale brown colour, convex and deeply 
flriated on one fide, flat on the other, and 
marked with a figure of an oval pointed (hape, 
fg- 6- 
ONE of the principal advantages refulting to mankind from Botany, is the rightly afcertaining thofe plants 
which are ul'ed for food, from thofe which are known to bepoifonous. It not unfrequently happens that both 
thefe kinds of Herbs grow in the fame foil, nay often in the fame bed together, and fo fimilar are they in their gene- 
ral appearance, that the indifcriminating eye of the common obferver readily miftakes the one for the other, and 
hence difeafes fatal in their confequences fometimes enfue. To point out then the mod obvious diftindions between 
fuch kinds of plants, is not only our bufinefs but our duty. 
The Fool’s Parfley feems generally allowed to be a plant which poflefles poifonous qualities. _ 
Baron Haller has taken a great deal of pains to colled what has been faid concerning it, and quotes many 
authorities to (hew that this plant (on being eaten) has been produdive of the moft violent fymptoms, fuch as 
anxiety, hickcough,' and a delirium even for the fpace of three months, flupor, vomiting, convulfions and death : 
He fufpeds however that the common Hemlock may fometimes have had a (hare in producing thefe fymptoms, as he 
finds in authors that the Fool’s Parfley had been ufed by a whole family without any bad effed, although he ima- 
gines this might be owing to the fmallnefs of the quantity eaten. As a corroborating proof of its deleterious quality, 
Linnaeus aflerts that itproves fatal to geefe if they happen to eat it. 
Altho’ it feems rather doubtful whether it be fo poifonous to mankind as is reprefented, yet it will perhaps be 
moft prudent to confider it as fuch, until future experiments (hall determine its efteds with more certainty. 
The plants to which this bears thegreateft refemblance, are common Gar den Parfley and common Hemlock, Conium macu- 
latum-, this fimilarity has been obferved by moft Botanic Writers, fome of whom have called it a kind of Hemlock, 
others a kind of Parfley ; it differs however confiderably from both thefe Genera. The colour of its leaves alone, 
is nearly fufficient to diftinguilh it from Parfley ; thofe of common Parfley are of a yellvwifh green colour, thofe of Fool’s 
Parfley of a very dark green, and much more finely divided ; the leaves of Parfley when bruifed have a firong but not 
difagreeable fmell, thofe of Fool’s Parfley have very little fmell in them. Thefe marks if attended to are fufficient 
to diftinguilh the leaves of thefe two plants, and in the date of leaves they are moft liable to be taken for one another, 
as they grow together in Gardens. Where much Parfley is ufed, the Miftrefs of the houfe therefore would do 
well to examine the Herbs previous to their being made ufe of ; but the beft precaution will be always to fow that 
variety called curled Parfley, which cannot be miftaken for this or any other plant. 
It is diftinguilhed from Hemlock by being in every reiped fmaller, and not having that ftrong difagreeable fmell 
which charaderizes the leaves of that plant; the ftalk likewife is not fpotted as 111 the Hemlock; and laftly it is 
diftinguilhed from all our umbelliferous plants by the three long, narrow, pendulous leaves which compole its partial 
Involucrum, and which are placed at the bottom of each of the fmall Umbels. . 
It grows very common in Gardens, and all kinds of cultivated ground, and flowers in July and Auguft. 
