The
Cow Parsnip (
Heracleum maximum also known as
Indian Celery or
Pushki) is the only member of the
HogweedHeracleum is a genus of about 60 species of biennial and perennial herbs in the carrot family Apiaceae...
genus native to
North AmericaNorth America is the northern continent of the Americas, situated in the Earth's northern hemisphere and in the western hemisphere. It is bordered on the north by the Arctic Ocean, on the east by the North Atlantic Ocean, on the southeast by the Caribbean Sea, and on the west by the North Pacific...
. Its classification has caused some difficulty, with recent authoritative sources referring to it variously as
Heracleum maximum or
Heracleum lanatum , as
H. linatum, or as either a subspecies,
H. sphondylium subsp.
montanum, or a variety,
H. sphondylium var.
linatum, of the
Common HogweedCommon Hogweed is an herbaceous biennial plant of the family Apiaceae, which grows in the prairies of Eurasia. It prefers rich humid soils. It is smaller in size than the Giant Hogweed . It is an umbelliferous plant, in the same group as fennel, cow parsley, elder and giant hogweed...
(
H. sphondylium). The classification given here follows
ITISThe Integrated Taxonomic Information System is a partnership designed to provide consistent and reliable information on the taxonomy of biological species. ITIS was originally formed in 1996 as an interagency group within the U.S. federal government, involving agencies from the Department of...
.
Distribution
The Cow Parsnip is distributed throughout the continental
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Alaska except the Gulf Coast and a few neighboring states. It is listed as "Endangered" in Kentucky and "Special Concern" in Tennessee. In
CanadaCanada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, it is found in each province except
NunavutNunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999 via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
. It has not been reported in
GreenlandGreenland is an autonomous constituent country within the Kingdom of Denmark located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago...
. It may be
weedA weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-made settings such as gardens, lawns or agricultural areas, but also in parks, woods and other natural areas. More specifically, the term is often...
y or
invasive'Invasive species' is a phrase with several definitions. The first definition expresses the phrase in terms of non-indigenous species that adversely affect the habitats they invade economically, environmentally or ecologically...
in portions of its range.
Characteristics
The Cow Parsnip is a tall
herbA herb is a plant that is valued for flavor, scent, or other qualities. Herbs are used in cooking, as medicines, and for spiritual purposes....
, reaching to heights of over two metres. It has the characteristic flower
umbelAn umbel is an inflorescence which consists of a number of short flower stalks which are equal in length and spread from a common point, somewhat like umbrella ribs....
s of the carrot family (
ApiaceaeThe Apiaceae or Umbelliferae is a family of usually aromatic plants with hollow stems, commonly known as umbellifers. It includes cumin, parsley, carrot, coriander/cilantro, dill, caraway, fennel, parsnip, celery, Queen Anne's Lace and other relatives. It is a large family with about 300 genera...
), about 20 cm across; these may be flat-topped, as in the picture at right, or more rounded, and are always white. The leaves are large, up to 40 cm across, divided into lobes. The stems are stout and
succulentSucculent plants, also known as succulents or fat plants, are water-retaining plants adapted to arid climate or soil conditions. Succulent plants store water in their leaves, stems and/or roots. The storage of water often gives succulent plants a more swollen or fleshy appearance than other plants,...
.
Uses
The juices of all parts contain a phototoxin that can act on contact with skin and exposure to ultraviolet light, causing anything from a mild rash to a blistering, severe
dermatitisDermatitis is a blanket term meaning any "inflammation of the skin" . There are several different types of dermatitis. The different kinds usually have in common an allergic reaction to specific allergens. The term may be used to refer to eczema, which is also known as dermatitis eczema or...
, depending on the sensitivity of the individual. The plant is a pernicious weed especially in pastures, where it can ruin the milk of cows that eat it.
Various
Native AmericanThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those peoples...
peoples had many different uses for this plant; all parts of it were used by one nation or another. Perhaps the most common use was to make
poulticeA poultice, also called cataplasm, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is spread on cloth over the skin to treat an aching, inflamed, or painful part of the body...
s to be applied to bruises or sores. In addition, the young stalks and leaf stems — before the plant reaches maturity — were widely used for food with the outer skin peeled off giving a sweetish flavor. The dried stems were also used as drinking straws for the old or infirm, and to make
fluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind group. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s for children. A yellow
dyeA dye can generally be described as a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and may require a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
can be made from the roots, and an infusion of the flowers can be rubbed on the body to repel flies and
mosquitoMosquito is a common insect in the family Culicidae...
es.
Similar species
These plants all have white flowers in large compound umbels. Therefore, these plants are confused with each other; the water parsnip, (swamp parsnip,
sium suaveSium suave , the Water Parsnip, is a herb belonging to the parsnip family and comes from Africa and some parts of the Northern Hemisphere.- Appearance :...
) and the western water hemlock, (Cicuta douglasii, poison hemlock) or the
spotted water hemlockCicuta maculata is a species of flowering plant in the carrot family known by several common names, including spotted water hemlock, spotted parsley, and spotted cowbane. It is native to nearly all of North America, from northern Canada to southern Mexico. This is a rhizomatous perennial herb...
(cicuta maculata, spotted water hemlock, spotted parsley, spotted cowbane). Water parsnip and water hemlock both have cluster of small white flowers shaped like umbrellas, and both have the same habitat near the shore line of lakes, and rivers. Water parsnip has leaves only once compound, and water hemlock has leaves which are three times compound. Water hemlock has a large swelling at the stem base. All water hemlock is highly poisonous. Water parsnip is not poisonous. The water hemlock has bracts at the base of each small flower cluster, not at the base of the main flower head. The Water parsnip has small bracts at the base of flowers and main flower head as well. The Yarrow, (Common Yarrow, Gordaldo, Nosebleed plant, Old Man's Pepper, Sanguinary, Milfoil, Soldier's Woundwort, Thousand-leaf (as its binomial name affirms), Thousand-seal or Achillea millefolium) also has many small white flowers in a cluster. However, the yarrow has feathery looking leaves which are
pinnatelyIn botany, a leaf is an above-ground plant organ specialized for photosynthesis. For this purpose, a leaf is typically flat and thin. There is continued debate about whether the flatness of leaves evolved to expose the chloroplasts to more light or to increase the absorption of carbon dioxide. In...
separated into small narrow segments. The cow parsnip (heracleum lanatum, Heracleum maxinium Indian Celery or Pushki, and Heracleum sphondylium, hogweed) is also confused in this group with similar flower groupings. However, the cow parsnip has large, broad leaves, and an unpleasant odour.
Hemlock'sConium is a genus of two species of highly poisonous perennial herbaceous flowering plants in the family Apiaceae, native to Europe and the Mediterranean region , and to southern Africa ....
distinguishing characteristics are that it requires a more consistent supply of water than
Lomatium or Osha, and
Lomatium species tend to prefer dry rocky soils devoid of organic material.
Lomatium roots have a delicate rice-like odor, unlike the musty odor of Hemlock, with finely divided, hairlike leaves in most
Lomatium species.
Lomatium species tend to produce yellow flowers, but some species are white flowered and closely resemble Poison Hemlock. If the plant is growing on a hillside in dry, mineral soil far away from a source of water and has umbells of yellow flowers, its likely a
Lomatium. It the plant is growing in an area near water in consistently moist soil, is tall (0.75-2m), has purple splotches on the main stem, and is heavily branched with small umbels of white flowers, it is probably Hemlock and should be avoided.
OshaOsha or oshá is a perennial herb used for its medicinal properties. Osha grows in parts of the Rocky Mountains, especially in the North American Southwest. Uses include chewing to relieve sore throat.-Distribution:...
does not do well in overly moist soils since it is a species dependent on mycorrhizal fungi to survive, but there are areas where Osha and Poison Hemlock can be found only a few feet from each other. Poison Hemlock lacks the "spicy celery" odor of Osha, and is easily distinguished from it due to the absence of hairlike dead leaf material present on the root crown of Osha roots. Poison Hemlock roots in many cases have no discernible odor, and are typically heavily branched rather than carrot-like, but this is not always the case. The plants themselves smell musty or "mousy", and in most instances will have purple blotches or shading on the lower stem of the plant if the plant is fairly mature, but again, this is not always the case.
In the Mountain West of North America, poison hemlock has become well established and invasive, and can be found in remote mountain areas anywhere water is present or soils are persistently moist. It is often found growing in the same habitat and side by side with
OshaOsha or oshá is a perennial herb used for its medicinal properties. Osha grows in parts of the Rocky Mountains, especially in the North American Southwest. Uses include chewing to relieve sore throat.-Distribution:...
and
LomatiumLomatium is a genus of 70 to 80 perennial herbs native to western North America.Several species, including L. cous, L. geyeri, and L. macrocarpum, are sometimes known as biscuit roots for their starchy edible roots. These are or have been traditional Native American foods, eaten cooked or dried...
species, useful medicinal relatives in the
ParsleyParsley is a bright green biennial herb, often used as spice. It is common in Middle Eastern, European, and American cooking...
family which Hemlock closely resembles, and can be very difficult to distinguish from
Lomatium (an important historical food plant of Native Americans known as
Biscuit Root).
A useful trick to determine whether a plant is poison hemlock rather than
fennelFennel , is a plant species in the genus Foeniculum . It is a member of the family Apiaceae . It is a hardy, perennial, umbelliferous herb, with yellow flowers and feathery leaves...
, which it resembles, is to crush some leaves and smell the result. Fennel smells like
aniseis a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae native to the eastern Mediterranean region and southwest Asia known for its flavor that resembles liquorice, fennel, and tarragon.- Biology :Anise is an herbaceous annual plant growing to tall...
or
liquoriceLiquorice or Licorice is the root of Glycyrrhiza glabra , from which a sweet flavour can be extracted. The liquorice plant is a legume , native to southern Europe and parts of Asia...
, whereas the smell of poison hemlock is often described as mouse-like or musty. Considering the high toxicity of poison hemlock, if the plant cannot be identified it must be discarded. Coniine can be absorbed through the skin, and it is well advised to wash your hands immediately after handling this plant and avoid touching your eyes or mouth if you have recently handled or come into contact with Poison Hemlock, or if you have crushed the leaves of this plant in your hand to perform a "smell test".
Poison hemlock is sometimes confused with
water hemlocksCicuta is a small genus of four species of highly poisonous plants in the family Apiaceae. They are perennial herbaceous plants which grow up to tall, having distinctive small green or white flowers arranged in an umbrella shape . Commonly known as water hemlock, plants in this genus may also be...
in the related genus
CicutaCicuta is a small genus of four species of highly poisonous plants in the family Apiaceae. They are perennial herbaceous plants which grow up to tall, having distinctive small green or white flowers arranged in an umbrella shape . Commonly known as water hemlock, plants in this genus may also be...
, but are readily distinguished by the less finely divided leaves of the latter; the leaf veins of poison hemlock also run through the tips of the teeth, but those of the water hemlock run through the notches in between the teeth. The poison hemlock's root is long, white, and fleshy and is usually stringy and heavily branched, but can be carrot-like and unbranched in younger specimens of
Conium. Water hemlock's roots are made up of several tubers, and are typically chambered, and exude a yellow, rank, highly toxic sap that contains
cicutoxinCicutoxin is a poisonous polyyne and alcohol found in various plants, most notably water hemlock . It is structurally related to the oenanthotoxin of hemlock water dropwort....
.
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