SHORT COMMUNICATIONS : BULL BOT SURV. INDIA VOL. 45 (1-4) : 2003 CICUTA VlROSA L. (AP1ACEAE)-A RARE SPECIES FROM JAMMU & KASHMIR B. P. UNIYAL AND P. C. PANT Botanical Survey of India, Northern Circle, Dehra Dun Current studies on the flora of Jammu & Kashmir state, India, revealed that Cicuta virosa L. has a solitary gathering (Falconer 488) collected during 1836-1 838 by H. Falconer during his mission of plant exploration in N. W. Himalaya. C.B. Clarke (1 879) recorded this species from Srinuggar (Srinagar). Later workers on Indian Apiaceae (Mukherjee & Constance 1993) have also cited Falconer 488 only in their treatise. There is no other specimen of this taxon from India available either in the herbarium of the Forest Research Institute, Dehradun (DD) or Regional Research Laboratory, Jammu (RRL). The present report of its collection after c. 150 years from surroundings of Vaishno Devi is therefore interesting. The species is a virulent poisonous plant as well as of considerable medicinal importance. A short description along with illustration and a brief note on phytochernistry is provided. Cicuta virosa L. Sp. PI. 255. 1753; C.B. Clarke in Hook.f., FI. Brit. India 2 : 679. 1879; Nasir in F1. West Pakistan, 20 : 24. 1972; Hiroe, Minosuke, Umbelliferae of World 115 4. 1974; Mukherjee & Constance, Umbelliferae (Apiaceae) of India 82. 1993; Mukherjee in N. P. Sin& & D. K. Sin&, Floral Diversity & Conserv. Strateg. India 4 : 2101-2107. 2001. "Cow Bane, Water Hemlock" Erect, prennial herbs to 60 cm high. Roots fibrous-fleshy. Stems hollow, prominently striate, hairy. Leaves 2-3 pinnate; leaflets oblong-narrow lanceolate, acuminate, coarsely serrate-incised lobed, younger ones occasionally entire, margins and ribs hairy, more so on midrib; lobes up to 8 mm long; petiole sheathing, striate, hairy. Involucre absent; rays up to 13, 8-20 mm long, hairy; umbellules ovoid, ovate- obliquely ovoid with 8-15 rays; pedicels to 5 mm long, hairy. Flowers small, white, actinomorphic. Fruits c. 7 mm long, constricted at cornmisure. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS : BULL. 807 SURV. INDIA VOL. 45 (1-4) : 2003 Cicuta virosa L. A. Habit; 8. Portion of stem; C. Leaf; D. Young hit. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS : BULL. BOT. SURV. INDIA VOL. 45 (1-4) : 2003 23 1 Specimen examined : Jammu & Kashmir : Vaishno Devi-Sanjhichat, 30.8.1989, B. R UniyaZ 77422 (BSD). Notes : In wet and marshy situation, on hill slopes in association with Pimpinefla diversifolia DC. Few. Distrib. : Temperate Asia, Europe, North-Central America. Chromosome number : 2n = 22 (Tutin & a]., F1. Brit. Isles 656. 1952). Phytochemistry : Quercetin, Isorhamnetin, Kalempferol, Rutin, Isorhamnetin 3- glucoside Isoquercitin, Ntrcissin (Acts Pot. Pharm. 1972,29,4 17, Chem. Abstr. 1973, 78,94864 V), Umbelliferone and scopoletin have been isolated from the fmits of Cicuta vjrosa L. (Khim. Prir. Soedin. 1973,9,112; Chem. Abstr. l973,79,276sh). The essential oil from the fruits contains y-Terpinene, P-Pinene, p-Cymene, Myerlimonene Camphene, a-Terpinene, B-Phellandrene and an aldehyde. Cicutoxin derived from the plant causes spasmodic action and paralysis of Central nervous system. (Sintetich. Predukty iz Kanifolii skipidara, Akad. Nauk hA~russkS. SR, Tsentr. Nauchn.-Issled. i. Proektn.Inst. Lesokhim. Prom. Tr. Vses. ~auchnT. ekhn. Soveshch., Gorki 1963,3 10; Chem. Abstr. 1965, 62, 89296). ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors are thankful to Dr.D .K . Singh, Joint Director, Botanical Survey of India, Northern Circle, Dehradun for going through the manuscript and suggestions and to Mr. Sujeet Kumar, J.R.F-, for help in the illustration. REFERENCES CLARKCE,, B . Umbelliferae. In Hooker, J.D.T he Flora of British India 2 : 679. London. 1879. MUKHERJEP. EK, . Umbelliferae. In N. P. Singh & D. K. Singh (eds.) Floral Diversity & Conservation Strategies in India IV : 2 101 -21 27. Dehra Dun. 200 1. MUKHER~pE. EK,. AND L. CONSTANCUEm. belliferae (Apiaceae) of India. New Delhi, 1993.