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Oenanthe fistulosa

Table of Contents

Details
Ethnobotanical Use
General Uses
Synonyms
Common Names
Subtypes (subspecies, varieties, subvarieties, forms)
Germination/Propagation
Distribution
Links to other databases
Genome
Scientific Literature
Phytochemical Profile
Gallery
Contributors
Collections

Details Top

Internal ID UUID643ff6cdbc703785261677
Scientific name Oenanthe fistulosa
Authority L.
First published in Sp. Pl. : 254 (1753)

Ethnobotanical Use Top

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Important notice
  • Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
  • Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
  • Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
  • Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.

Oenanthe fistulosa (common water‑dropwort) is a marsh and stream‑edge plant of Europe and the Mediterranean. Despite being close to more widely used water‑dropsworts, its ethnobotanical record is sparse, and cultures that do report its use generally describe handling rather than consumption. Among contemporary foragers in the British Isles, for example, the species is sometimes identified in mixed “water‑dropwort” foraging, but only as a plant to recognize and avoid because of its similarity to highly toxic relatives; Hall (2015) records it as a foraging‑identification plant without indicating any internal use. Gatherers in parts of mainland Europe occasionally mention it as part of stream‑margin flora, but only as a knowledge marker to exclude from wild salads, and not as a tea, tincture, or decoction source (Ghirardini et al., 2007). In a historical survey of European medicinal herbs, Johnson (2013) includes the plant in a list of recognized wetland flora but notes that it carried a reputational risk of toxicity, and thus was not used in infusions or poultices. No record was found among North African or Middle Eastern sources that explicitly document O. fistulosa being prepared as tea or tincture, which stands in contrast to markedly richer notes for O. aquatica or O. javanica (see, for example, Pieroni & Price, 2005).

Because of these safety concerns, the main traditional relevance of O. fistulosa lies in recognition rather than preparation. If foragers wish to make a mild, standardized tea from a safe Oenanthe relative (for instance O. javanica), a common approach is to steep 1–2 teaspoons of fresh or dried leaves in 250 ml of just‑boiled water for 5–7 minutes, strain, and sip; limit to 1 cup daily and avoid if pregnant, nursing, or on sedatives (Hoffmann, 2003). For a 1:5 tincture in 45% alcohol, macerate 50 g of fresh leaves in 250 ml of ethanol/water mixture, shake daily for 2–3 weeks, then press and store in a dark bottle; typical adult dose is 1–2 ml (20–40 drops) taken 2–3 times a day (Bennett et al., 2021). O. fistulosa itself is best avoided in any internal preparation due to the well‑established presence of polyacetylene neurotoxins (oenanthotoxin and related compounds) that are linked to convulsions (Duke et al., 2022).

Active constituents that explain caution include oenanthotoxin and related polyacetylenes, as well as furanocoumarins such as bergapten, which can cause photosensitization and interact with medications (Duke et al., 2022). Modern relevance therefore hinges on safety rather than use: recent ethnobotanical and pharmacognosy reviews continue to emphasize the risk of misidentification in wild foraging and to reinforce avoidance of O. fistulosa for internal preparations (Motti, 2024).

General Uses Top

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Synonyms Top

Scientific name Authority First published in
Oenanthe lanceolata Poir. Encycl. , Suppl. 4: 135 (1816)
Oenanthe tabernaemontana C.C.Gmel. Fl. Bad. 1: 676 (1805)
Oenanthe fistulifolia Stokes Bot. Mat. Med. 2: 111 (1812)
Oenanthe filipendula Dumort. Fl. Belg. : 80 (1827)
Phellandrium dodonaei Bubani Fl. Pyren. 2: 368 (1899)
Selinum fistulosum E.H.L.Krause Deutschl. Fl. Abbild. , ed. 2, 12: 96 (1904)
Oenanthe meifolia Schloss. & Vuk. Bilinar 215. 1876
Oenanthe fistulosa var. tabernaemontana (C.C.Gmel.) Lej. Rev. Fl. Spa : 62 (1825)
Oenanthe fistulosa var. minor Lej. & Courtois Comp. Fl. Belg. 1: 235 (1828)

Common names Top

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Language Common/alternative name
English tubular water-dropwort
Spanish ceguta de agua
Belarusian Амежнік дудкаваты
Bulgarian кухолистен воден морач
Czech halucha dutá
Welsh cegiden bibellaidd
Danish vand-klaseskærm
German röhrige pferdesaat
German röhrige rebendolde
German röhriger wasserfenchel
Persian آبچکان لولهای
Finnish pulleapahaputki
Dutch pijptorkruid
Polish kropidło piszczałkowate
Swedish pipstäkra

Subspecies (abbr. subsp./ssp.) Top

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Varieties (abbr. var.) Top

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Subvarieties (abbr. subvar.) Top

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Forms (abbr. f.) Top

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Germination/Propagation Top

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Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top

Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
  • Asia-temperate
    • Caucasus
      • Transcaucasus
    • Western Asia
      • East Aegean Islands
      • Iran
      • Lebanon-Syria
      • Palestine
      • Turkey
  • Europe
    • Eastern Europe
      • Belarus
      • Ukraine
    • Middle Europe
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Germany
      • Hungary
      • Netherlands
      • Poland
      • Switzerland
    • Northern Europe
      • Denmark
      • Great Britain
      • Ireland
      • Sweden
    • Southeastern Europe
      • Albania
      • Bulgaria
      • Greece
      • Italy
      • Romania
      • Sicilia
      • Turkey-in-Europe
      • Yugoslavia
    • Southwestern Europe
      • Corse
      • France
      • Portugal
      • Sardegna
      • Spain

Links to other databases Top

Suggest others/fix!
Database ID/link to page
World Flora Online wfo-0000385428
Tropicos 1700467
INPN 109869
Flora of Italy 3508
KEW urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:845277-1
The Plant List kew-2391314
Open Tree Of Life 314092
NCBI Taxonomy 254046
NBN Atlas NBNSYS0000003689
IUCN Red List 164499
IPNI 845277-1
iNaturalist 338115
GBIF 5371890
EPPO OENFI
EOL 596813
USDA GRIN 414435
Wikipedia Oenanthe_fistulosa
CMAUP NPO598

Genomes (via NCBI) Top

No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.

Scientific Literature Top

Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Title Authors Publication Released IDs
Ethnopharmacobotany and Diversity of Mediterranean Endemic Plants in Marmilla Subregion, Sardinia, Italy Cocco E, Maccioni D, Sanjust E, Falconieri D, Farris E, Maxia A Plants (Basel) 18-Nov-2022
PMCID:PMC9695302
doi:10.3390/plants11223165
PMID:36432894
Scrub encroachment promotes biodiversity in temperate European wetlands under eutrophic conditions Brunbjerg AK, Fløjgaard C, Frøslev TG, Andersen DK, Bruun HH, Dalby L, Goldberg I, Lehmann LJ, Moeslund JE, Ejrnæs R Ecol Evol 01-Nov-2022
PMCID:PMC9627074
doi:10.1002/ece3.9445
PMID:36340817
Environmental Gradients Shaping the Freshwater Bryophyte Communities of Croatia (Western Balkans) Rimac A, Alegro A, Šegota V, Vuković N, Koletić N Plants (Basel) 09-Jun-2022
PMCID:PMC9230072
doi:10.3390/plants11121542
PMID:35736693
The Plant Communities of the Class Isoëto-Nanojuncetea in Sicily Brullo S, Brullo C, Sciandrello S, Tavilla G, Cambria S, Tomaselli V, Ilardi V, Giusso del Galdo G, Minissale P Plants (Basel) 29-Apr-2022
PMCID:PMC9104982
doi:10.3390/plants11091214
PMID:35567216
Structure-Dependent Activity of Natural GABA(A) Receptor Modulators Çiçek SS Molecules 22-Jun-2018
PMCID:PMC6100244
doi:10.3390/molecules23071512
PMID:29932138
Polyacetylenes from Sardinian Oenanthe fistulosa: A Molecular Clue to risus sardonicus Appendino G, Pollastro F, Verotta L, Ballero M, Romano A, Wyrembek P, Szczuraszek K, Mozrzymas JW, Taglialatela-Scafati O J Nat Prod 26-Feb-2009
PMCID:PMC2685611
doi:10.1021/np8007717
PMID:19245244

Phytochemical Profile Top

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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Name PubChem ID Canonical SMILES MW Found in Proof
> Benzenoids / Phenols / Tyrosols and derivatives / Tyrosols
Tyrosol 10393 Click to see 138.16 unknown via CMAUP database
> Benzenoids / Tetralins
(3R)-3,8-dihydroxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-naphthalen-1-one 11789771 Click to see C1C(CC(=O)C2=C1C=CC=C2O)O 178.18 unknown via CMAUP database
4-Hydroxyscytalone, cis- 101997321 Click to see 210.18 unknown via CMAUP database
Scytalone 162567 Click to see 194.18 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohols
(1R,6R)-1-[(2S,3R)-3-heptyloxiran-2-yl]oct-7-en-2,4-diyne-1,6-diol 132497795 Click to see CCCCCCCC1C(O1)C(C#CC#CC(C=C)O)O 276.40 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
(4R,7E,9E)-undeca-7,9-dien-4-ol 163105589 Click to see 168.28 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
Panaquinquecol 2 14827985 Click to see CCCCCCCC1C(O1)C(C#CC#CC(C=C)O)O 276.40 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Fatty Acyls / Fatty alcohols / Long-chain fatty alcohols
(3S,8R)-heptadeca-1,9-dien-4,6-diyne-3,8-diol 131954651 Click to see CCCCCCCC=CC(C#CC#CC(C=C)O)O 260.40 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
Dihydrooenanthotoxin 44138864 Click to see 260.40 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
Falcalindiol 3321 Click to see 260.40 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
Falcarindiol 5281148 Click to see 260.40 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
Heptadeca-2,8,10-triene-4,6-diyne-1,14-diol 60470 Click to see 258.35 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
Heptadeca-8,10-dien-4,6-diyne-1,14-diol 74932187 Click to see 260.40 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
Oenanthotoxin 44138996 Click to see CCCC(CCC=CC=CC#CC#CC=CCO)O 258.35 unknown https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2685611/
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Acyclic monoterpenoids
3-Hydroxycitronellic acid 92466151 Click to see CC(=CCCC(C)(CC(=O)O)O)C 186.25 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Aromatic monoterpenoids
(E)-9-(3-Furanyl)-2,6-dimethyl-2,6-nonadien-4-one 5367769 Click to see 232.32 unknown via CMAUP database
4,7-Nonadiene-1,6-dione, 1-(3-furanyl)-4,8-dimethyl-, (Z)- 91982685 Click to see CC(=CC(=O)C=C(C)CCC(=O)C1=COC=C1)C 246.30 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids
(2E,6E,9R)-9-hydroxy-3,7,11-trimethyldodeca-2,6,10-trienoic acid 121491205 Click to see 252.35 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids / Eudesmane, isoeudesmane or cycloeudesmane sesquiterpenoids
2-[(2R,4aR,8aS)-4a-methyl-8-methylidene-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8a-octahydronaphthalen-2-yl]prop-2-enal 14262762 Click to see 218.33 unknown via CMAUP database
7-Hydroxycostal 14165821 Click to see 234.33 unknown via CMAUP database
Beta-Selinene 442393 Click to see 204.35 unknown via CMAUP database
Petrovin B 10704987 Click to see 236.35 unknown via CMAUP database
> Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Terpene lactones
6-Oxodendrolasinolide 23726439 Click to see CC(=CC(=O)CC(=CCCC1=CC(=O)OC1)C)C 248.32 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Aryl ketones / Aryl alkyl ketones
(4(S)-(+)-Ipomeanol) 6711829 Click to see 168.19 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Diazinanes / Piperazines / Thiodioxopiperazines / Epipolythiodioxopiperazines / Gliotoxins
(1R,7S,8R,11R)-7-hydroxy-11-(hydroxymethyl)-15-methyl-12,13-dithia-9,15-diazatetracyclo[9.2.2.01,9.03,8]pentadeca-3,5-diene-10,14-dione 6713040 Click to see CN1C(=O)C23CC4=CC=CC(C4N2C(=O)C1(SS3)CO)O 326.40 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Dihydrofurans / Furanones / Butenolides
Ipomeamaronolide 101593496 Click to see CC(C)CC(=O)CC1(CCC(O1)C2=CCOC2=O)C 266.33 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Heteroaromatic compounds
Ipomoeamarone 442379 Click to see CC(C)CC(=O)CC1(CCC(O1)C2=COC=C2)C 250.33 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Indolines
(3S)-3-methyl-1,3-dihydroindol-2-one 640571 Click to see 147.17 unknown via CMAUP database
> Organoheterocyclic compounds / Indoles and derivatives / Indolyl carboxylic acids and derivatives / Indole-3-acetic acid derivatives
Indole-3-acetic acid 802 Click to see C1=CC=C2C(=C1)C(=CN2)CC(=O)O 175.18 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Coumarins and derivatives / Hydroxycoumarins / 7-hydroxycoumarins
Scopoletin 5280460 Click to see 192.17 unknown via CMAUP database
Umbelliferone 5281426 Click to see C1=CC(=CC2=C1C=CC(=O)O2)O 162.14 unknown via CMAUP database
> Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Isocoumarins and derivatives
3,4-Dehydro-6-hydroxymellein 5280627 Click to see 192.17 unknown via CMAUP database
6,8-Dihydroxy-3-(hydroxymethyl)-1H-2-benzopyran-1-one 9990614 Click to see 208.17 unknown via CMAUP database
8-Hydroxy-3-(hydroxymethyl)-6-methoxy-1H-2-benzopyran-1-one 5486849 Click to see 222.19 unknown via CMAUP database
8-Hydroxy-6-methoxy-3-methylisocoumarin 11127420 Click to see 206.19 unknown via CMAUP database
Orthosporin 5281568 Click to see 236.22 unknown via CMAUP database

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