View source for Water dropwort

{{About|the plant genus ''Oenanthe''|the bird genus ''Oenanthe''|wheatear}}
{{About|the plants in the Apiaceae family|the plant in the Rosaceae family|dropwort}}
{{taxobox
|image = Koeh-228.jpg
|image_caption = ''[[Oenanthe aquatica]]''
|regnum = [[Plantae]]
|unranked_divisio = [[Angiosperms]]
|unranked_classis = [[Eudicots]]
|unranked_ordo = [[Asterids]]
|ordo = [[Apiales]]
|familia = [[Apiaceae]]
|genus = ''Oenanthe''
|subdivision_ranks = Species
|subdivision = ''O. aquatica'' - Fine-leafed water dropwort<br/>
''O. crocata'' - Hemlock water dropwort<br/>
''O. fistulosa'' - Tubular water dropwort<br/>
''O. fluviatilis'' - River water dropwort<br/>
''[[Oenanthe javanica|O. javanica]]'' - Java water dropwort<br/>
''O. javanica'' ssp. ''javanica'' - Java water dropwort <br/>
''O. javanica'' ssp. ''stolonifera'' - Stolon water dropwort<br/>
''O. lachenalii'' - Parsley water dropwort<br/>
''O. laciniata'' - Cutleaf water dropwort <br/>
''O. peucidanifolia''<br/>
''[[Oenanthe pimpinelloides|O. pimpinelloides]]'' - Corky-fruited water dropwort<br/>
''[[Oenanthe sarmentosa|O. sarmentosa]]'' - Water parsley<br/>
''O. silaifolia'' - Narrow-leafed water dropwort
|}}

The '''water dropworts''', '''''Oenanthe''''' ({{IPAc-en|icon|ˌ|ɔɪ|ˈ|n|æ|n|θ|ɨ}}), 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 [[carrot]]s. 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 &ndash; one root is sufficient to kill a [[cow]], and human fatalities are also known in these circumstances.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

The species ''[[Oenanthe javanica|O. javanica]]'', commonly known as Chinese celery or Japanese parsley (''seri''; not to be confused with ''mitsuba'' or [[Cryptotaenia|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. 

==Names==
[[Image:Oenanthe pimpinelloides2.jpg|thumb|left|[[Corky-fruited water dropwort]] (''Oenanthe pimpinelloides'')]]
[[File:Oenanthe crocata.JPG|thumb|left|Hemlock Water Dropwort (''[[Oenanthe crocata]]'') in spring.]]

"''Oenanthe''" is derived from the Greek ''oinos'' "wine" and ''anthos'' "flower", from the wine-like scent of the flowers.<ref name =Botanical >{{cite web|title= Dropwort, Hemlock Water |work= A Modern herbal |url= http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/d/drophe21.html |publisher= Botanical.com | accessdate=2008-02-05}}</ref>

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 [[Sardonicism|sardonic]] grin.<ref>[http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=in-brief-aug-09 News Scan Briefs: Killer Smile], Scientific American, August 2009</ref><ref>{{cite journal|journal = Journal of Natural Products|year = 2009|volume = 72|pages = 962–965|title = Polyacetylenes from Sardinian ''Oenanthe fistulosa'': A Molecular Clue to ''risus sardonicus''|author = G. Appendino, F. Pollastro, L. Verotta, M. Ballero, A. Romano, P. Wyrembek, K. Szczuraszek, J. W. Mozrzymas, and O. Taglialatela-Scafati|doi = 10.1021/np8007717|pmid = 19245244|pmc = 2685611}}</ref> This plant is the most-likely candidate for the "sardonic herb," which was a [[Neurotoxin|neurotoxic]] plant used for the [[Human sacrifice|ritual killing]] of elderly people in [[Phoenicia]]n [[Sardinia]]. When these people were unable to support themselves, they were [[Substance intoxication|intoxicated]] with this herb and then dropped from a high rock or beaten to death.<ref name= "NGM">{{Cite news | last = Owen  | first = James | title = Ancient Death-Smile Potion Decoded? | work = National Geographic News | accessdate = 2009-10-18 | date = 2009-06-02 | url = http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090602-smiling-death-potion.html }}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat-inline|Oenanthe|Water dropwort}}
* [http://emj.bmj.com/cgi/content/full/19/5/472 Poisoning with O. Crocata Emerg Med J 2002; 19:472-473 (Free registration required)]
* [http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/06/090602-smiling-death-potion.html article National Geographic: poisoning in history of Italy]

[[Category:Apiaceae]]
[[Category:Poisonous plants]]

[[es:Oenanthe (planta)]]
[[eo:Enanto (planto)]]
[[fa:آب‌چکان (گیاه)]]
[[fr:Œnanthe (plante)]]
[[lt:Išnė]]
[[pl:Kropidło (roślina)]]
[[pt:Oenanthe (planta)]]
[[fi:Pahaputket]]
[[Category:2Fix]]