Conium maculatum known by the common name hemlock, even though the two plants are quite different. Similarly, the plant should not be confused with "Cicuta" (commonly known as water hemlock). The dried stems are sometimes called kecksies or kex. "Conium" comes from the Ancient Greek "κώνειον - kṓneion" : "hemlock". This may be related to "konas" (meaning to whirl), in reference to vertigo, one of the symptoms of ingesting the plant. "Conium maculatum" is an herbaceous biennial flowering plant that grows to tall, with a smooth, green, hollow stem, usually spotted or streaked with red or purple on the lower half of
Conium maculatum the stem. All parts of the plant are hairless (glabrous); the leaves are two- to four-pinnate, finely divided and lacy, overall triangular in shape, up to long and broad. It has been introduced and naturalised in many other areas, including Asia, North America, Australia and New Zealand. The plant is often found in poorly drained soil, particularly near streams, ditches and other watery surfaces. It also appears on roadsides, edges of cultivated fields and waste areas and is considered an invasive species in 12 U.S. states. "Conium maculatum" grows in damp areas, but also on drier rough grassland, roadsides and