Cowbane is a plant 70-120 cm takk, with rootstock 2-4 cm thick, surface tawny,
yellow within, exudes yellow sap when cut. Stem is solitary, sometimes
purplish-tinged. Basal leaves stalked, leaf-stalks 15-30 cm; blade
triangular or ovate-triangular, 12-30 x 10-25 cm; pinnae 3-lobed or
pinnatifid; ultimate segments linear-lanceshaped or lanceshaped, 1.5-6
x 0.3-1 cm, sawtoothed to sharply sawtoothed. Upper leaves 1-2-pinnate;
ultimate segments narrowly lanceshaped, 1-2.5 x 0.2-0.5 cm. Flower umbels
are 5-15 cm across; flower-cluster-stalks 2.5-20 cm;
rays 6-25, 2-6 cm, slender; bracteoles numerous,
linear-lanceshaped, 3-5 x 0.5-0.9 mm, almost as long as flowers, rarely
longer; umbellules 15-35-flowered; flower-stalks 4-8 mm. Sepal-cup teeth
0.3-0.5 mm, unequal. Petals about 1.2 x 1 mm. Fruit 2-3.5 x 1.8-3 mm.
The yellow resin contains cicutoxin, which disrupts the workings of the
central nervous system. In humans, cicutoxin rapidly produces symptoms of
nausea, emesis and abdominal pain, typically within 60 minutes of ingestion.
This can lead to tremors and seizures. A single bite of the root (which has
the highest concentration of cicutoxin) can be sufficient to cause death.
Cowbane is found in Temperate Northern Hemisphere, including Western
Himalayas, at altitudes of 300–3300 m.
Identification credit: Shaista Ahmad
Photographed in Hisar, Haryana.
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The flower labeled Cowbane is ...
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