hemlock

Plant belonging to the carrot family, native to Europe, western Asia, and North Africa. It grows up to 2 m/6 ft high and produces delicate clusters of small white flowers. The whole plant, especially the root and fruit, is poisonous, causing paralysis of the nervous system. The name ‘hemlock’ is also given to some North American and Asiatic conifers (genus Tsuga) belonging to the pine family. (Conium maculatum, family Umbelliferae.)