Hemlock (Conium maculatum)

Credit Socrates with giving this plant its street cred. Back in his day, a hemlock cocktail was the preferred method of execution, and the story of Socrates' death is oft-repeated in high-school history classes. Conium maculatum, aka hemlock, poison hemlock or devil's porridge, is a leafy green plant native to Europe and parts of Asia and North Africa. It owes its poisonous bite to coniine, a neurotoxin that causes paralysis of the muscles, including the ones you need to breathe. Eventually, victims suffocate and die of lack of oxygen. The plant itself is apparently foul-smelling and bitter-tasting, meaning none of us are missing out on anything.