Cicuta (Water Hemlock or Cowbane) is a small genus of four species of highly poisonous flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, mainly North America. They are perennial herbaceous plants which grow up to 1-2 m tall. The species grow in wet meadows, along streambanks and other wet and marshy areas.

The stems are smooth, branching, swollen at the base, purple-striped, or mottled (C. malculata only), and hollow except for partitions at the junction of the leaves and stem. The leaves are alternate, tripinnate, only coarsely toothed, unlike the ferny, lacy leaves found in many other members of the Apiaceae. The flowers are small, white and clustered in the umbrella shape so familiar to this family. An oily, yellow liquid oozes from cuts to the stems and roots. This liquid has a rank smell resembling that of parsnips, carrots or mice. The plant may be mistaken for parsnip due to its clusters of white tuberous roots, but is extremely poisonous and must not be eaten.

Species

• Cicuta bulbifera - Bulblet-bearing Water Hemlock. Northern North America.
• Cicuta douglasii - Western Water Hemlock. Western North America.
• Cicuta maculata - Spotted Water Hemlock. North America (widespread).
• Cicuta virosa - Cowbane or Northern Water Hemlock. Northern Europe and Asia, also Alaska.

Apiaceae | Poisonous plants | Cicuta | Cicuta