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Cicuta virosa (cowbane or northern water hemlock) is a species of Cicuta, native to northern and central Europe and northwestern North America. It grows in wet meadows, along streambanks and other wet and marshy areas. An oily, yellow liquid oozes from cuts to the stems and roots.

It was administered in ancient Greece as state poison. The Greek philosopher Socrates drank a cup of hemlock infusion at his execution in 399 BC

The plant contains cicutoxin, which disrupts the workings of the central nervous system. In humans, cicutoxin rapidly produces symptoms of nausea, emesis and abdominal pain, typically within 60 minutes of ingestion. Poisoning can lead to tremors and seizures. A single bite of the root (which has the highest concentration of cicutoxin) can be sufficient to cause death. In animals the toxic dose and the lethal dose are nearly the same. One gram of water hemlock per kilogram of weight will kill a sheep and 230 grams is sufficient to kill a horse. Due to the rapid onset of symptoms, treatment is usually unsuccessful.