Waterhemlock (Cicuta spp.)



  • Waterhemlock Plant 215x150

Category C Weed

Parsley family (Apiaceae)

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Stem

  • Up to 5 ft. tall, stout, lacks hair (glabrous) and hollow except at nodes; usually with purple streaks ; often branched.

    Leaves

    • Pinate-comopound; leaflets are lance-shaped. 1-4 in. long and lack hair, edges (margins) are toothed

      Flower

      • Small, white and arranged in umbrella-like clusters at end of a stalk

        Root

        • Swollen taproot at stem base that can be cut open to reveal multiple narrow, hollow, horizontal chambers; fluid released from cut stem bases is orange-yellow or brown, has the odor of parsnip and is highly toxic

          Other

          • Grows best in moist soils; often found in crop fields, roadsides, waste areas and along waterways; known to occur in Carson City, Elko, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Nye and White Pine counties; native to North America

          • Perennial; reproduces by seed

          • Highly toxic to animals and humans, even in small quantities

            Control

            • Repeated cultivation or hand-removal can be effective (avoid contact with skin)

            • Apply 2,4-D or glyphosate to actively growing plants

              Images

              Waterhemlock Plant 215x150
              Mature plant
              Waterhemlock Root 215x150
              Roots
              Waterhemlock Flower 215x150
              Flower
              Waterhemlock Leaves Stem 215x150
              Leaves
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              Nevada Noxious Weed Guide