spotted cowbane

noun

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

Origin of spotted cowbane

First recorded in 1840–50

Also called musquash root, spotted hemlock.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018