Editing Conium (section)

=== Species ===
{{As of|2020|December}}, [[Plants of the World Online]] accepts six species:<ref name="POWO_39839-1">{{cite web |title=''Conium'' L. |work=Plants of the World Online |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew|url=https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:39839-1 |access-date=2020-12-16 }}</ref>
*''[[Conium chaerophylloides]]'' <small>(Thunb.) Eckl. & Zeyh.</small>
*''[[Conium divaricatum]]'' <small>Boiss. & Orph.</small>
*''[[Conium fontanum]]'' <small>Hilliard & B.L.Burtt</small>
*''[[Conium hilliburttorum]]'' <small>Magee & V.R.Clark</small>
*''[[Conium maculatum]]'' <small>L.</small>
*''[[Conium sphaerocarpum]]'' <small>Hilliard & B.L.Burtt</small>

==== ''Conium chaerophylloides'' ====
''Conium chaerophylloides'', growing two to three meters tall, can be distinguished by its unique yellow-green flowers. Groups of many of these small flowers make up [[obconic]]al [[umbel]]s. The outer rays (individual flowers) form an angle with the point of attachment, giving the umbel a cone-like shape, which fans out from the base of the inflorescence. They produce round, 4&nbsp;mm long, dark brown or green fruit, with deep, lightly colored ridges.<ref name=":5" />

==== ''Conium fontanum'' ====
''Conium fontanum'' expresses a similar obconical umbel arrangement, but produces slightly larger fruit, and develops the white flowers characteristic of the other species in the ''Conium'' genus. The fruit is usually larger than 4&nbsp;mm long, with ridges of the same dark green or brown color as the rest of the ovary.<ref name=":5" /> These plants grow one to three meters tall, depending on the variety.<ref name=":7" />

==== ''Conium hilliburttorum'' ====
''Conium hilliburttorum'' has not always been recognized as a distinct species within the genus. Like ''C. sphaerocarpum'', these plants have white flowers grouped in hemispherical umbels and small fruit. However, these researchers argue that the fruit and ovary anatomy significantly distinguish them from ''C. sphaerocarpum''. They develop similar sized fruit; however, ''C. hilliburttorum'' fruit displays prominent ribs, whereas ''C. sphaerocarpum'' fruit is relatively smooth. ''C. hilliburttorum'' ovaries are covered in tubercules, or small lumpy outgrowths, like ''C. chaerophylloides'' fruit. However, ''C. chaerophylloides'' plants have yellow or green flowers, and they grow much larger fruit and are much taller.<ref name=":5" />

==== ''Conium maculatum'' ====
''Conium maculatum'' is distinguished by red or purple blotching along the hairless green stem. Some varieties of the southern African species express a moderate degree of blotching at the base of the stem, but most are simply green. It grows white flowers in umbrella-shaped clusters.<ref name=":3" />[[File:Conium maculatum - Köhler–s Medizinal-Pflanzen-191.jpg|center|thumb|295x295px|19th-century illustration of ''Conium maculatum''<br />(from ''[[Köhler's Medicinal Plants]]'')]]

==== ''Conium sphaerocarpum'' ====
''Conium sphaerocarpum'' produces similarly colored, but slightly smaller fruit, less than 3.5&nbsp;mm long. The ovary is relatively smooth, with almost completely flat, inconspicuous ridges. Additionally, the small white flowers are arranged in [[Sphere|hemispherical]] umbels. Each umbel's outer rays protrude horizontally, forming a semi-sphere shape, with the flat edge at the base of the umbel, and the dome pointing away from the point of attachment. This species tends to grow shorter than others within the genus.<ref name=":5" />