Cicuta virosa; water hemlock

Japanese: ドクゼリ(毒芹) - ドクゼリ（英語表記）Cicuta virosa; water hemlock

A large perennial plant of the Apiaceae family. It is widely distributed in the temperate and subtropical zones of the Old Continent of the Northern Hemisphere, and in Japan it grows naturally in wetlands in Hokkaido and central and northern Honshu. The underground stem is thick, with shortened internodes, and is bamboo-like, green, and hollow. The stem reaches a height of 1m and branches in the hollow. The leaves are pinnately compound with long petioles, smooth and hairless. The base of the petiole forms a sheath that encases the stem. In summer, compound umbels form at the tip of the stem and in the leaf axils, and many small white flowers grow. Each inflorescence has more than 10 flowers. There are five petals, five stamens, and one pistil, and the fruit is spherical and about 2.5 mm in diameter. The entire plant is highly poisonous, and if eaten by mistake, it will affect the central nervous system, causing convulsions and leading to death. Because the underground stem has an unusual shape, it is used for decoration as a bamboo that extends life or is long-lasting, but caution is required as it is highly poisonous.

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

セリ科の大型の多年草。北半球の旧大陸の温帯から暖帯に広く分布し，日本でも北海道や本州の中部，北部の水湿地に自生する。地下茎は太く節間が縮まってたけのこ状になり，緑色で中空である。茎は高さ 1mに達し中空で分枝する。葉は羽状複葉で長い葉柄があり，平滑で毛はない。葉柄の基部は鞘となり茎を抱く。夏に，茎の先端および葉腋に複散形花序をなして多数の白色の小花をつける。各花序に 10数個の花がつく。花弁は5枚でおしべ5本，めしべ1本があり，果実は球形で直径 2.5mmほどになる。植物体全体に猛毒があり，あやまって食べると中枢神経がおかされ痙攣を起して死を招く。地下茎が変った形をしているので延命竹または万年竹として観賞用にされるが猛毒なので注意を要する。

出典　ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典ブリタニカ国際大百科事典小項目事典について　情報

<<: Poison gland

>>: Tokuseimongon - Tokuseimongon