Aethusa cynapium
| Aethusa cynapium | |
| Light: |    |
| Moisture: |   |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Height: | 4' |
| Blooms: | Mid Summer-Late Summer |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
 | |
Aethusa cynapium (common name: fool's parsley)
Propagation: Seed - we have no details on this species but suggest sowing the seed in situ as soon as it is ripe or in spring.
Cultivation: We have no details for this species, see its native habitat above for ideas on its cultivation needs.
All parts of the plant have an unpleasant smell reminiscent of hemlock.[1]
Range: Most of Europe, including Britain, to the Caucasus and south to Algeria.
Habitat: Grows in waste places and is also a common weed of cultivated ground but rarer in the north of Britain[2][3].
Edibility: Leaves - raw or cooked[4]. It is very inadvisable to eat this plant, see the notes above on toxicity[5].
Medicinal: Although fairly toxic, fool's parsley has occasionally been used in folk medicine[6]. The herb is sedative and stomachic. It has been used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal problems, especially in children, and also to treat convulsions and summer diarrhoea[7][8][6]. Extreme caution in the use of this herb is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Seed Ripens: Late Summer-Early Fall
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: The entire plant is poisonous though less so than Conium maculatum (q.v.)[7][9][10]. Small amounts can cause pain, confusion of vision and vomiting[6]. The dried plant might be safe to eat[9].
Links
References
- ↑ Genders, Roy. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale, 1994.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ Clapham, Arthur and Tom Tootin, Edmund Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press, 1962.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Kunkel, Günther. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books, 1984.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Stuart, Malcolm. The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism. Orbis Publishing, 1979.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Usher, George. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable, 1974.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Altmann, Horst. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus, 1980.
- ↑ Stary, Frantisek. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn, 1983.