Conium maculatum
| Conium maculatum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 5 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Self Pollinated | |
| Life Cycle: | Biennial |
| Height: | 7' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Blooms: | Early Summer-Mid Summer |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Medicinal Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Conium maculatum (common name: hemlock)
Propagation: Seed - best sown in situ as soon as it is ripe in the late summer. It usually germinates in the autumn.
Cultivation: A fairly common weed in Britain, it succeeds in most soils in sun or light shade and avoids acid soils in the wild. It prefers a damp rich soil[1].
This is the plant that Socrates is said to have used to kill himself, though this is probably an error[2]. It requires a large dose if it is to be lethal (this contradicts with the notes above on toxicity[K]), and death from this plant can be very painful whilst Socrates is said to have died without pain[2]. Another report says that poisonous doses cause paralysis, which starts at the feet and moves up the body. There is no pain, the mind remains clear and lucid until death, which is caused by asphyxia when paralysis reaches the chest[3].
The whole plant has a foetid smell[4].
Range: Europe, including Britain, from Norway and Finland south and east to N. Africa and Iran.
Habitat: Waste ground and in damp places, avoiding acid soils and heavy shade[4].
Edibility: Leaves - cooked[5]. Although toxic, plants found in the south of England are comparatively harmless and the leaves are used as a pot-herb[6]. They can also be dried for later use. The toxic principle is said to be destroyed by thorough cooking or drying[7][8]. Caution is advised, especially on the remarks about plants in southern England[K]. See the notes above on toxicity.
Medicinal: Hemlock is a very poisonous plant that has a long history of medicinal use, though it is very rarely used in modern herbalism[1][9]. It is a narcotic plant that sedates and relieves pain[1]. The plant contains coniine, an extremely toxic substance that can also cause congenital defects[9].
The whole plant is analgesic, antispasmodic, emetic, galactofuge and sedative[7][4][10][11][12][13]. It is a traditional folk treatment for cancer[13] and was formerly widely used internally in very small doses to treat a variety of complaints including tumours, epilepsy, whooping cough, rabies and as an antidote to strychnine poisoning[3][9]. It is still used externally, usually in ointments and oils, in the treatment of mastitis, malignant tumours (especially breast cancer) anal fissure and haemorrhoids[1]. The leaves and stems should be harvested when the first fruits are forming, since they are then at their most active medicinally[7]. The fruits are gathered either when fully ripe, or before they turn from green to yellow, and are then dried[7]. Because of the extremely toxic nature of this herb, it is seldom employed nowadays[3]. Use with extreme caution and only under the guidance of a qualified practitioner[11][1]. See also the notes above on toxicity.
A homeopathic remedy is prepared from a tincture of the fresh plant, harvested when in flower[3]. It is used for treating complaints such as dizziness, coughs, insomnia, exhaustion[3], arteriosclerosis and prostate problems[4].
Pollinators: Insects
Habit: Biennial
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Known Hazards: A very poisonous plant, the toxins are especially concentrated in the seed[14][4][15][16][17][18]. The stems contain up to 0.06% of the toxic alkaloids, the leaves between 0.03 and 0.8%, the flowers from 0.09 to 0.24% and the green fruit from 0.73 to 0.98%
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Bown, Deni. Royal Horticultural Society Encyclopaedia of Herbs and Their Uses. Dorling Kindersley, 1995.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Coffey, Timothy. The History and Folklore of North American Wild Flowers. Facts on File, 1993.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Castro, Miranda. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook. Macmillan, 1990.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Chiej, Roberto. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants. MacDonald, 1984.
- ↑ Tanaka, Tyōzaburō. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing, 1976.
- ↑ Hedrick, Ulysses. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications, 1972.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Grieve, Margaret. A Modern Herbal. Penguin, 1984.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Chevallier, Andrew. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants. Dorling Kindersley, 1996.
- ↑ Launert, Edmund. Edible and Medicinal Plants. Hamlyn, 1981.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lust, John. The Herb Book. Bantam Books, 1983.
- ↑ Weiner, Michael. Earth Medicine, Earth Food. Ballantine Books, 1980.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Foster, Steven and Billy Tatum. Medicinal Plants of Eastern and Central North America. Houghton Mifflin, 1990.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Altmann, Horst. Poisonous Plants and Animals. Chatto and Windus, 1980.
- ↑ Stary, Frantisek. Poisonous Plants. Hamlyn, 1983.
- ↑ Elias, Thomas. A Field Guide to North American Edible Wild Plants. Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
- ↑ Cooper, Marion. Poisonous Plants in Britain and their Effects on Animals and Man. The Stationery Office, 1984.