Water dropwort

Water dropwort
This article is about the plant genus Oenanthe. For the bird genus Oenanthe, see wheatear.
This article is about the plants in the Apiaceae family. For the plant in the Rosaceae family, see dropwort.
Water dropwort
Oenanthe aquatica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family: Apiaceae
Genus: Oenanthe
Species

O. aquatica - Fine-leafed water dropwort
O. crocata - Hemlock water dropwort
O. fistulosa - Tubular water dropwort
O. fluviatilis - River water dropwort
O. javanica - Java water dropwort
O. javanica ssp. javanica - Java water dropwort
O. javanica ssp. stolonifera - Stolon water dropwort
O. lachenalii - Parsley water dropwort
O. laciniata - Cutleaf water dropwort
O. peucidanifolia
O. pimpinelloides - Corky-fruited water dropwort
O. sarmentosa - Water parsley
O. silaifolia - Narrow-leafed water dropwort

The water dropworts, Oenanthe play /ɔɪˈnænθiː/, are a genus of plants in the family Apiaceae. Most of the species grow in damp ground, in marshes or in water.

Several of the species are extremely poisonous, the active poison being oenanthotoxin. The most notable of these is O. crocata, which lives in damp, marshy ground, and resembles celery with roots like a bunch of large white carrots. The leaves may be eaten safely by livestock, but the stems, and especially the carbohydrate-rich roots are much more poisonous. Animals familiar with eating the leaves may eat the roots when these are exposed during ditch clearance – one root is sufficient to kill a cow, and human fatalities are also known. It has been referred to as the most poisonous of all British plants,[1] and is considered particularly dangerous because of its similarity to several edible plants.[2]

The species O. javanica, commonly known as Chinese celery or Japanese parsley (seri; not to be confused with mitsuba or Japanese wild celery, a plant from a different genus) is edible and grown in several countries of eastern Asia, as well as in Italy and India, where the spring growth is relished as a vegetable.

Contents

Names

"Oenanthe" is derived from the Greek oinos "wine" and anthos "flower", from the wine-like scent of the flowers.[3]

The name "water dropwort" comes from the close resemblance of some of the smaller species (which mainly grow in wet ground) to dropwort (Filipendula vulgaris) (Rosaceae), an unrelated plant of dry grassland.

Sardonic grin

Scientists at the University of Eastern Piedmont in Italy claimed to have identified hemlock water dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) as the plant responsible for producing the sardonic grin.[4][5] This plant is the most-likely candidate for the "sardonic herb," which was a neurotoxic plant used for the ritual killing of elderly people in Phoenician Sardinia. When these people were unable to support themselves, they were intoxicated with this herb and then dropped from a high rock or beaten to death. Criminals were also executed in this way.[6]

  • Corky-fruited water dropwort (Oenanthe pimpinelloides)

  • Hemlock Water Dropwort (Oenanthe crocata) in spring

References

  1. ^ "Information Sheet: 31 Hemlock Water Dropwort (Oenanthe crocata)" (pdf). Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. 2005. http://www.ceh.ac.uk/sci_programmes/documents/31Oenanthecrocata.pdf. Retrieved September 28, 2011. "Oenanthe crocata [...] is the most toxic plant in Britain to both humans and animals." 
  2. ^ Wright, John (2010), Hedgerow, Bloomsbury, p. 171, ISBN 978-1-4088-0185-7 
  3. ^ "Dropwort, Hemlock Water". A Modern herbal. Botanical.com. http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/d/drophe21.html. Retrieved 2008-02-05. 
  4. ^ News Scan Briefs: Killer Smile, Scientific American, August 2009
  5. ^ G. Appendino, F. Pollastro, L. Verotta, M. Ballero, A. Romano, P. Wyrembek, K. Szczuraszek, J. W. Mozrzymas, and O. Taglialatela-Scafati (2009). "Polyacetylenes from Sardinian Oenanthe fistulosa: A Molecular Clue to risus sardonicus". Journal of Natural Products 72 (5): 962–965. doi:10.1021/np8007717. PMC 2685611. PMID 19245244. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2685611. 
  6. ^ Owen, James (2009-06-02). "Ancient Death-Smile Potion Decoded?". National Geographic News. http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090602-smiling-death-potion.html. Retrieved 2009-10-18. 

External links

Media related to Water dropwort at Wikimedia Commons


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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Water dropwort — Wa ter drop wort (Bot.) A European poisonous umbelliferous plant ({Enanthe fistulosa}) with large hollow stems and finely divided leaves. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • water dropwort — noun European poisonous herb having tuberous roots, yellow juice that stains the skin, yellow flowers and foliage resembling celery; all parts extremely poisonous • Syn: ↑hemlock water dropwort, ↑Oenanthe crocata • Hypernyms: ↑poisonous plant •… …   Useful english dictionary

  • water-dropwort — indinė išnė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Salierinių šeimos daržovinis, dekoratyvinis, prieskoninis, vaistinis augalas (Oenanthe javanica), paplitęs rytų ir pietų Azijoje, Australijoje. Iš jo gaminami maisto priedai (kvėpikliai).… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • water-dropwort — geltonoji išnė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Salierinių šeimos vaistinis nuodingas augalas (Oenanthe crocata), paplitęs pietų Europoje ir šiaurės Afrikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Oenanthe crocata angl. hemlock water dropwort; water dropwort;… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • water dropwort — a poisonous plant of the parsley family, which grows in wet habitats. → dropwort …   English new terms dictionary

  • water dropwort — noun A genus of plants in the family Apiaceae that grows in a moist, damp environment and is extremely poisonous …   Wiktionary

  • water dropwort — /ˈwɔtə ˌdrɒpwɜt/ (say wawtuh .dropwert) noun any of several perennial umbelliferous herbs of the genus Oenanthe, as O. fistulosa, a plant of wet places in Europe and south west Asia …  

  • Javan water-dropwort — indinė išnė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Salierinių šeimos daržovinis, dekoratyvinis, prieskoninis, vaistinis augalas (Oenanthe javanica), paplitęs rytų ir pietų Azijoje, Australijoje. Iš jo gaminami maisto priedai (kvėpikliai).… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • hemlock water-dropwort — geltonoji išnė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Salierinių šeimos vaistinis nuodingas augalas (Oenanthe crocata), paplitęs pietų Europoje ir šiaurės Afrikoje. atitikmenys: lot. Oenanthe crocata angl. hemlock water dropwort; water dropwort;… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

  • fine-leaf water-dropwort — vandeninė išnė statusas T sritis vardynas apibrėžtis Salierinių šeimos vaistinis nuodingas augalas (Oenanthe aquatica), paplitęs Europoje ir vakarų Azijoje. atitikmenys: lot. Oenanthe aquatica angl. fine leaf water dropwort; water fennel; water… …   Lithuanian dictionary (lietuvių žodynas)

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