Hemlock water dropwort - Oenanthe crocata

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Deadly poisonous plant - advanced identification Season - spring to autumn ​ Common names Hemlock water dropwort, dead man's fingers, water hemlock, water hemlock dropwort, horsebane, yellow water dropwort, dead tongue, five-fingered root

Scientific name meaning: Oenanthe comes from the Greek Oinotheras, which is a willowherb with roots smelling of wine. Plus, the Greek word Anth, meaning flower. This is due to this plant's flowers smelling like wine. Crocata is from the Latin Crocatus, meaning saffron-yellow, which is due to the yellow juice the plant exudes if it is crushed or cut

Habitat

Hemlock water dropwort prefers a moist environment, but can be found on drier soils. It is common on the sides of rivers, streams, ponds, marshes, in damp meadows and along wet woodland rides.

Overall structure

Hemlock water dropwort is a hairless plant that can reach 1.5m tall. It forms a dense mat of bipinnate leaves followed by tall flower stems.

Leaves

It has mid-green bipinnate leaves (3-4 times) that have lobed or toothed leaflets. They resemble the leaves of parsley or celery and roughly triangular in overall shape. The leaf stem cross section is irregularly oval and solid. When crushes, the leaves exude a yellow liquid and their aroma is pleasant like parsley and sweet celery.

Stem

The flower stem can reach 1.5m tall and its cross section is irregularly oval with a central narrow hollow. It is hairless and grooved and oozes yellow liquid when crushed.

Flowers

The white five-petalled flowers appear on compound umbels, which can reach 10cm in diameter and are almost spherical. The petals of the individual flowers are differing lengths and widths. Their aroma is wine-like.

Seeds

The roughly spherical seeds are deeply ridged with the two styles present at the top. They cylindrical seeds are between 4 and 6mm long and have two styles remaining. They start off green and age to yellow-brown.

Roots

The parsnip like roots are attached to the base of the plant by thick filaments.

​Possible lookalikes

Looks like several other members of the carrot family, including edible members like wild and cultivated celery, wild parsnip, water parsnip, lovage and parsley. These plants should be left to advanced foragers. Some care should be taken when identifying Alexanders. These can grow in similar habitats but Alexanders have shiny leaves, yellow flowers and large black seeds.

Poisonous parts All parts of the plant are deadly poisonous, the main toxin being Oenanthotoxin. The roots contain the highest concentration of toxins. It causes convulsions, seizures and death ​ Use in herbal medicine and medicine None known

This plant is a deadly poisonous - do not consume

If you are suffering from any ailment or need medical advice, please see your General Practitioner.

Hazards All parts of this plants are deadly poisonous

Other uses Historically, it was used as a method of execution and to poison rats and moles ​ Importance to other species An important food source for bees, wasps and hoverflies

Always stay safe when foraging. You need to be 100% sure of your identification, 100% sure that your foraged item is edible, and 100% sure that you are not allergic to it (it is good practice to always try a small amount of any new food you are consuming). If in doubt, leave it out!

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