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Aethusa cynapium L.

Fools parsley (en), Petite ciguë (fr), Faux Persil (fr), Petite cigüe (fr), Faux persil (fr), Éthuse ache-des-chiens (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Apiales > Apiaceae > Aethusa

Characteristics

Freely branched, 2–7 dm; lvs shining, broadly deltoid, twice or thrice pinnately dissected into narrow acute segments; umbels 2–5 cm wide; rays 10–20; pedicels numerous, 1–5 mm; fr rather acute, 3 × 2 mm; 2n=20. Native of Eurasia, established as a weed here and there from N.S. and Me. to Pa. and O. June–Sept.
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An annual plant which grows 1.2 m high. The root is white and spindle shaped. The stem is slender and has bluish flecks. The leaves are dark green above and yellowish-green underneath. They are divided 3 times and the leaflets are divided. The flowers are white and in compound groups.
Life form annual
Growth form herb
Growth support -
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination entomogamy
Spread barochory
Mature width (meter) -
Mature height (meter) 1.2
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Grows in waste places and is also a common weed of cultivated ground but rarer in the north of Britain.
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It is a temperate plant. It will grow in most soils.
Light 1-9
Soil humidity 1-6
Soil texture 1-6
Soil acidity 3-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 4-9

Usage

CAUTION: The entire plant is poisonous. It is probably less poisonous once dried. The leaves have been recorded as eaten after cooking. It is probably best not to eat this plant.
Uses medicinal poison
Edible leaves
Therapeutic use Cancer (unspecified), Cholera (unspecified), Convulsion (unspecified), Diarrhea (unspecified), Gastritis (unspecified), Poison (unspecified), Spasm (unspecified), Stomachic (unspecified), Tumor (unspecified), Intestine (unspecified), Sedative (unspecified)
Human toxicity very strong toxic (aerial)
Animal toxicity toxic (aerial)

Cultivation

Plants can be grown from seeds.
Mode seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Habit

Aethusa cynapium habit picture by Patrice Bracquart (cc-by-sa)
Aethusa cynapium habit picture by Oliver Klein (cc-by-sa)
Aethusa cynapium habit picture by cscoq (cc-by-sa)

Leaf

Aethusa cynapium leaf picture by Else Nolden (cc-by-sa)
Aethusa cynapium leaf picture by giulia Cristiani (cc-by-sa)
Aethusa cynapium leaf picture by Ilias Kontos (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Aethusa cynapium flower picture by Pokorny Roman (cc-by-sa)
Aethusa cynapium flower picture by Armand Demeure (cc-by-sa)
Aethusa cynapium flower picture by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)

Fruit

Aethusa cynapium fruit picture by Else Nolden (cc-by-sa)
Aethusa cynapium fruit picture by Martine (cc-by-sa)
Aethusa cynapium fruit picture by Martine (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Aethusa cynapium world distribution map, present in Canada, France, and United States of America

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:837341-1
WFO ID wfo-0000522564
COL ID 65CDF
BDTFX ID 1084
INPN ID 80358
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Sium cynapium Aethusa cicuta Aethusa cynapium Aethusa cynica Aethusa elata Aethusa micrantha Aethusa petroselinifolia Cicuta cynapicum Cicuta minor Selinum cynapium Aethusa tenuifolia Aethusa toxicaria Coriandrum cynapium Cicuta cynapium

Lower taxons

Aethusa cynapium subsp. elata Aethusa cynapium subsp. segetalis Aethusa cynapium subsp. cynapium
WorldFloraDB 2024