Water Hemlock

At a glance

Origin / distribution: US(Appalachia), US, US(Cherokee)

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Suicide, Tumor, Contraceptive, Fatality

Science studied: CICUTINE, FAT, CONIINE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Apiaceae

Scientific name: Cicuta maculata

Common names: Water Hemlock, Spotted Water Hemlock, Abagwasî'gans, Common Water Hemlock, Musquashroot, Poison Parsnip, Spotted Cowbane, Spotted Parsley, Spotted Waterhemlock, Spotted water hemlock, beaver-poison, carotte à Moreau, cicutaire maculée, common water hemlock, musquash-root, musquashroot, poison parsnip, spotted cowbane

POWO: 58605-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in US(Appalachia), US, US(Cherokee).

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Suicide
• Tumor
• Contraceptive
• Fatality

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• US(Appalachia)
• US
• US(Cherokee)

Documented cultural uses

• Suicide
• Tumor
• Contraceptive
• Fatality

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Suicide · US(Appalachia) · "
• Tumor · US · "
• Contraceptive · US(Cherokee) · "
• Fatality · US · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Water hemlock poisoning in cattle: Ingestion of immature Cicuta maculata seed as the probable cause. · 2010 source ↗
• Antitumor agents, 85. Cicutoxin, an antileukemic principle from Cicuta maculata, and the cytotoxicity of the related derivatives. · 1986 source ↗
• An anomalous rhizomatous population of Cicuta maculata L. at Mountain Lake, Virginia. · 1981 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• CICUTINE
• FAT
• CONIINE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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