The Triclinium

We have plenty of plants that look like the hemlock you have pictured--they grow abundantly in California. But, while most do call it 'hemlock', it has a very licorice scent--perhaps is there a type of fennel which looks like hemlock? Or does hemlock smell similar to anise/fennel?

The umbelliferae are a very large group ( thats an understatement -vast), ive spent a long time annotating and photographing them. Within that group we have angelica, fennel, wild parsley and caraway( which is somewhat poisonous if not used correctly) that are culinary spices ; we also have wild carrot, pignut and giant hogweed that vary from decorative to intrusive and poisinous to livestock. We have Yarrow and elderberry great healing herbs.Then we have hemlock. They look similar- there are tell tale signs to discriminate , the worst of them (Hemlock and Oenanthe) have either purple stems or blotched stems , and smell bad when broken. I am going to publish a small paper on identification of the species, with a photographic guide , early versions will be beta tested on my msn blog.

Cornell have this useful resource for a particular locality:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...ficial%26sa%3DG

take a good look at the Water Hemlock stem colour.

I will put some shots up on msn soon and pm you -leaf shape, inflorescence shape and smell all help, but if in doubt , dont eat em!

Hemlock was said to be a European plant, but can a plant in Greece grow in places with different climates? Greece has a hot and humid climate while Britain's and Scandanavias has an ice climate, would this impact where it is grown in Europe?

 

Was it grown anywhere else in the world?

I am going to publish a small paper on identification of the species, with a photographic guide , early versions will be beta tested on my msn blog.

Cornell have this useful resource for a particular locality:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=h...ficial%26sa%3DG

take a good look at the Water Hemlock stem colour.

I will put some shots up on msn soon and pm you -leaf shape, inflorescence shape and smell all help, but if in doubt , dont eat em!

 

Wonderful, Pertinax...I've been curious about the flora that grow locally, and the whole "If you don't know, don't touch/taste!" mentality keeps me from going near what I suspect to truly be hemlock. Even if it is wild fennel...I'd rather get mine from the market

The range of Hemlock is the whole of Europe and Northern Asia , as ive mentioned previously , the closer to the Nile -the stronger the active principle of the plant. So yes we can have the same plant in Britain and Greece, and as one requires little of the alkaloid to kill (by accident or design) the relative potency is not too relevant.

The range of Hemlock is the whole of Europe and Northern Asia , as ive mentioned previously , the closer to the Nile -the stronger the active principle of the plant.

 

When you say closer to the Nile, do you mean it is also located in the Nile?

The range of Hemlock is the whole of Europe and Northern Asia , as ive mentioned previously , the closer to the Nile -the stronger the active principle of the plant.

 

When you say closer to the Nile, do you mean it is also located in the Nile?

 

I will check my range maps , I dont recall seeing it in Karnak , but I dont see why it shouldnt be in Egypt. My remark concerns the general fertile potency of the Egyptian climate, all medicinal plants seem to have greater potency (and are attested so in the Ancient world) as one moves toward Egypt.Fresh herbs from Egypt were the best plants available to the Romans , but as Pliny says many journeymen could not identify the "real thing" versus the dried (and hence less effective) plant or rhizome.

Re nicotine. It is generally responsible for PAD, Peripheral Arterial Disease. Same symptoms you mentioned above.

 

I hear that a new study has taken garlic off of the menu for bad cholesterol.

I hear that a new study has taken garlic off of the menu for bad cholesterol.

Yeah & I bet that study was funded by the Pharmaceutical industry...

I hear that a new study has taken garlic off of the menu for bad cholesterol.

Yeah & I bet that study was funded by the Pharmaceutical industry...

Yell it like it is bro!

Yell it like it is bro!

For what it's worth here are the offending articles: Archives of Internal Medicine - Garlic

 

The NPR story I heard yesterday on this mentioned that they were putting the raw garlic in with 'gourmet sandwiches' and the there was no dietary restriction on the people taking the suppliments.

 

So I ask, was this designed to fail? What if these people were on/maintaining a high cholesterol diet?

Once upon a time, when I would come back from my favorite Spanish restaurant (drunk), my Bride :wub: would ask me if I rubbed the stuff into my chest. I heard it on NPR also. I don't give a fig for the story. I'm still going to rub it on toast, bake heads of it and make sure it's on most of the things I eat. Jello?

Yell it like it is bro!

For what it's worth here are the offending articles: Archives of Internal Medicine - Garlic

 

The NPR story I heard yesterday on this mentioned that they were putting the raw garlic in with 'gourmet sandwiches' and the there was no dietary restriction on the people taking the suppliments.

 

So I ask, was this designed to fail? What if these people were on/maintaining a high cholesterol diet?

 

So no control group , or dietary prohibitions? Great science.

I hear that a new study has taken garlic off of the menu for bad cholesterol.

 

Bull pucky. Garlic and onions are a part of the culinary repetoire in nearly every gastronomic culture. They ain't bad...and there are few things in this world that rival roasted garlic spread over hot bread, with a wonderful fruity red to sip upon. Anyone who says otherwise needs to get away from the vampires.

Interestingly the "garlic question" has come out at just the time in the UK when it is now suggested that even the most banal of pain killers , asprin, paracetamol and (by far the worst) ibuprofen cause gross cardio damage. The ibuprofen is culpable in damaging the gut wall integrity, it is available over the counter but is included in many other medications. I wish to prophesy that it will be found to be a co-factor in alzheimers disease.

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...7/npills127.xml

Oh and don't forget the new news as well that antioxident vitamins will make die sooner...

The ibuprofen is culpable in damaging the gut wall integrity, it is available over the counter but is included in many other medications.

 

I think all pain-killers are inherently evil if overused...and, sadly, many overuse them. I'm down to rarely having to take an Advil (ibuprofen), and instead switch to a potent potable of choice Better for you, I reckon, plus it makes life so much happier!

I just saw in passing a CSI episode where nicotine (as a liquid) was used to kill a heavy drinker/smoker.

I just saw in passing a CSI episode where nicotine (as a liquid) was used to kill a heavy drinker/smoker.

I remember seeing that episode!