spotted cowbane

noun

1. a North American water hemlock, Cicuta maculata, of the parsley family, having a purple-mottled stem, white flowers, and deadly poisonous, tuberlike roots.

Word History and Origins

Origin of spotted cowbane¹

First recorded in 1840–50

Example Sentences

Poison hemlock, spotted cowbane and Jamestown weed are very poisonous.

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Twice or thrice pinnate leaves, toothed like a tenon saw, with conspicuous veins ending in the notches, brand it as the beaver poison, otherwise known as the musquash root and spotted cowbane.

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