Cicuta maculata
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- sih-KYOO-tah mak-yoo-LAY-tah
- This plant has high severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Perennial herb with short tuberous roots and purple-striped or mottled, hollow stems with cross-partitions at the nodes and many of these at the base of the stem; leaves alternate, clasping the stem, 2-3 pinnately divided, the leaflets with the veins ending in the notch between the teeth; flowers small, white, in umbrella-like clusters
Site: Wet meadows, thickets, fresh water swamps
Found in: Forest or natural area in wet areas, pond, stream, or ditch banks
HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN!
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Cicuta
- Species:
- maculata
- Family:
- Apiaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- North America
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Native Plant
- Poisonous
- Wildflower
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Cultural Conditions:
- Soil Drainage:
- Occasionally Wet
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Umbel
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Description:
- Dome-shaped cluster of small white flowers; no bracts beneath the umbels
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- > 6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Lower leaves are up to 1 ft., doubly divided with veins ending at notches between the teeth; smooth, erect highly branched stem
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Description:
- Purple-striped or mottled, hollow stems with cross-partitions at the nodes and many of these at the base of the stem
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Naturalized Area
- Woodland
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- High
- Poison Symptoms:
- HIGHLY TOXIC, MAY BE FATAL IF EATEN! Muscle spasms, dilated pupils, dizziness, diarrhea, stomach pain, convulsions.
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Cicutoxin and cicutol
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- No
- Poison Part:
- Bark
- Flowers
- Fruits
- Leaves
- Roots
- Seeds
- Stems
