Page authors: Don Knoke, David Giblin
Conium maculatum
poison hemlock
Specimens
Photos

Distribution: Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington; widely distributed throughout North America.

Habitat: Roadsides, fields, wastelots, and other disturbed open areas, often where soil is moist.

Flowers: April-August

Origin: Introduced from Europe

Growth Duration: Biennial

Conservation Status: Not of concern

Edibility: EXTREMELY TOXIC EVEN IN SMALL AMOUNTS WHEN INGESTED BY HUMANS AND LIVESTOCK.

Pollination: Generalist

Description:
General:

Coarse, freely-branched biennials from a stout taproot, 0.5-3 m. tall, with purple-spotted, hollow stem.

Leaves:

Leaves large, all cauline, ternate-pinnately dissected, the ultimate segments small.

Flowers:

Compound umbels numerous, the rays sub-equal, 1-4 cm. long; involucre and involucel of several small, lanceolate bracts or bractlets; calyx teeth obsolete; petals 5, white.

Fruits:

Stylopodium depressed-conic; fruit glabrous, broadly ovoid, 2-2.5 mm. long, with prominent, raised, wavy, almost-winged ribs.

Edibility:

EXTREMELY TOXIC EVEN IN SMALL AMOUNTS WHEN INGESTED BY HUMANS AND LIVESTOCK.

Accepted Name:
Conium maculatum L.
Publication: Sp. Pl. 1: 243. 1753.

Synonyms & Misapplications:
(none provided)
Additional Resources:

PNW Herbaria: Specimen records of Conium maculatum in the Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria database.

WA Flora Checklist: Conium maculatum checklist entry.

OregonFlora: Conium maculatum information.

E-Flora BC: Conium maculatum atlas page.

CalPhotos: Conium maculatum photos.

USDA Plants: Conium maculatum information.

27 photographs:
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