Conium maculatum, colloquially known as hemlock, poison hemlock or wild hemlock, is a highly poisonous biennial herbaceous flowering plant in the carrot family Apiaceae, native to Europe and North Africa. A hardy plant capable of living in a variety of environments, hemlock is widely naturalized in locations outside its native range, such as parts of Australia, West Asia, and North and South America, to which it has been introduced. It is capable of spreading and thereby becoming an invasive weed.
All parts of the plant are toxic, especially the seeds and roots, and especially when ingested. The plant has a distinctive odour usually considered unpleasant that carries with the wind. The hollow stems are usually spotted with a dark maroon colour before the plant dies and becomes dry and brown after completing its biennial lifecycle. The hollow stems of this toxic plant are deadly for up to 3 years after the plant has died.Basal leaves are large, kidney-shaped, leaf margin is toothed. The leaves are glabrous on both sides.

Kukuta je vrlo otrovna štitarka koja se koristi u narodnoj medicini, no poznata je kao sredstvo za izvršenje smrtnih kazni u antičko doba.

Кукута је веома отрован штит који се користи у народној медицини, али је од давнина познат као средство за извршење смртних казни.

Hemlock je veľmi jedovatá rastlina, ktorý sa používa v ľudovom liečiteľstve, ale v staroveku je známy ako prostriedok na vykonávanie rozsudkov smrti.