poison hemlock

hemlock (defs. 1, 3).

[1810-20, Amer.]

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Any of several poisonous herbaceous plants of the parsley family, especially Conium maculatum, believed to be the plant that killed Socrates.

It is now common in the U.S. as well as in Europe. A tall biennial, this plant has green stems spotted with red or purple, large compound leaves, and white flowers. Though the poison is concentrated in the seeds, the entire plant is dangerous to livestock when fresh. Despite their common name, poison hemlocks are not conifers (see hemlock). Water hemlocks (Cicuta species) are similar and also dangerous.

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▪ plant

 any of several poisonous herbaceous plants but especially Conium maculatum, which, according to tradition, was the plant used to kill Socrates. The water hemlocks (water hemlock) (Cicuta species) are similar and also dangerous. They are members of the parsley family (Apiaceae). Conium maculatum is a tall biennial (living for two years) with green stems spotted with red or purple, large compound leaves, and white flowers. Coniine, the poison, is concentrated in the seeds, though the entire plant is dangerous to livestock when fresh. Of the water hemlocks, the European Cicuta virosa is perhaps the best known; it is a tall perennial herb that grows in marshy areas and is a deadly poison. The American Cicuta maculata, known as musquash root, or beaver poison, has potato-like tubers with a pleasant odour; the tubers as well as the leaves are poisonous. It grows to about 2.5 m (8 feet) and has divided leaves and clusters of white flowers resembling those of some nonpoisonous plants in the family.

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