Purpled blotched stems...

[Mang]

...Is this Hemlock? I noticed it whilst taking some Cubs on a country ramble about a fortnight ago. It had, as stated, purple blotched stems, it hadn't flowered whereas the Cow Parsley had, it was as tall as a man is some cases, had no hairs and delicate foliage. There was a lot of evidence of stems snapped off so I hope if I'm right they weren't used as pea shooters =S

I know it sounds silly but I was in awe of it because it's so toxic...Have I got it right?

 

[Barn Owl]

I'd say so.

 

[troy ap De skog]

yep, i agree that is most defently Hemlock

 

[Broch]

Probably

Smooth stem, purple dots or blotches, feathery leaves and 3 to 6 foot tall bit I always make sure by crushing the leaves - Hemlock smells foul and is usually described as smelling of mouse p**s - if you ever found a mouse nest in your shed you'll recognise the smell straight away.

Remember to wash your hands after testing !!

Cheers,

Broch

 

[Mang]

Probably

Smooth stem, purple dots or blotches, feathery leaves and 3 to 6 foot tall bit I always make sure by crushing the leaves - Hemlock smells foul and is usually described as smelling of mouse p**s - if you ever found a mouse nest in your shed you'll recognise the smell straight away.

Remember to wash your hands after testing !!

Cheers,

Broch

Thanks all. I have heard of the mousy smell test but was a little worried about doing it TBH, I'll be a brave soldier with a wet wipe! And yes, I've had the critters in my shed alright...

 

[jimford]

I wouldn't worry too much about being poisoned!

I've tasted Deadly Nightshade - chewed them up and spat them out - to see how they tasted (insipid). Next time I see hemlock I'll do the same and let you know!

Jim

 

[xylaria]

Don't ever taste any umbrellifer please. The lethal dose for humans for some species is very very small. Hemlock water dropwort it can be as little a mouthful. Belladonna isn't in the same league.

Smelling the crushed leaves of hemlock is a very good and safe way of IDing hemlock. I also do this with hemlock water dropwort which is very poisonious, i wash my hands after even though I know I wont get effected through the skin, some plants are supposed to be scary. Generally with umbrellifers you should wash your hands after crushing the leaves as quite a few can cause rashes. Not many people would want their hands smelling of mouse pee for any lenght of time.

 

[Tony]

interesting post Jim. For the benifit of others i'd like to make sure they understand that eating it has a very good chance of killing you and i'd imagine that we all would rather you not test it out for our benifit, I for one don't care what it tastes like.

People should note - it's deadly, don't stick it in your mouth or we'll probably reading about you in the Darwin awards. Take the advice of the people on here that know their stuff.

 

[jimford]

What doesn't kill me will make me strong!
;^)

Jim

 

[Barney]

I found Hemlock water dropwort and could not identify it correctly, research on the plant later confirmed that only 20g ingested is fatal. Glad I did not taste it

Hemlock is, allegedly, one of the nicer ways to go as it is sedative and then anesthetic before death ensues

 

[gregorach]

What doesn't kill me will make me strong!
;^)

Jim

Not entirely true, but anyway - what does kill you, kills you.

 

[Dingus Magee]

Not entirely true, but anyway - what does kill you, kills you.

Aye...and y'er a lang time deid!!

 

[jimford]

I found Hemlock water dropwort and could not identify it correctly, research on the plant later confirmed that only 20g ingested is fatal. Glad I did not taste it

You're not goig to take on 20g by accident eg, by not washing your hands after handling it. Neither are you going to take on 20g by simply tasting it and spitting it out.

Jim

 

[Barney]

You're not goig to take on 20g by accident eg, by not washing your hands after handling it. Neither are you going to take on 20g by simply tasting it and spitting it out.

Jim

Thats right some one could only be part way to being dead and they* MAY* be unaffected , but someone could inadvertently make a mistake and think it was celery, it looks a bit like it, smells very much like it and supposedly is quite sweet and tasty. Cows will eat it.

The way to think of it is a test tube with 20ml of toxic lethal poison in it and then think if someone told you that it was toxic and poison and lethal, would you have a sip?

 

[Hoodoo]

Hemlock is, allegedly, one of the nicer ways to go as it is sedative and then anesthetic before death ensues

Poison hemlock in the genus Conium is one of the nicer poisons. Water hemlock in the genus Cicuta will cause a a very violent and painful death.

Cut open the stem and look for hollow chambers but it's a good bet it's one or the other. Jim, hand contact can cause skin poisoning so imagine what it could do to your tongue. Also, children have been poisoned by using the hollow stems as pea shooters or whistles.

 

[Ogri the trog]

I have yet to positively identify Hemlock in any form, yet I'm deeply suspicious of any umbellifer.
I would ask the members to consider their behaviour when researching potentially poisonous plants, in that they may be witnessed by innocent parties who have no comprehension of what we are doing - then, by mimicry, succumb to the poison themselves.

Sorry Jim, I cannot understand the mindset of someone who is willing to taste a known deadly poison, just to find out how it tastes. I'm no advocate of a risk averse culture but that is taking things too far.

Ogri the trog

 

[jimford]

I have yet to positively identify Hemlock in any form

Hemlock is so characteristic - tall, lightish green feathery foliage and the smooth stems with purple blotches. You can't mistake it for anything else. When driving, the height and light foliage stands out. It grows early in the season and is going over by July. In Hertfordshire many roadsides are lined with it.

Jim