certainly when I first saw our plant, with its bright, black, plump 
berries, quite even on the surface, I could not see how our plant 
could belong to that division: but as the pulp dries, whether on 
the living plant, through age, or as seen in the Herbarium (and 
as shown in our figure), it is as distinctly furrowed or costate as 
the species in the first section. Notwithstanding that our plant 
is destitute of beauty, both in leaf and flower, the bright coral- 
red of the rachis and of the pedicels of the long and graceful 
racemes, together with the deep purple-black of the copious ber- 
ries, are very attractive, and ought to recommend this species to 
general cultivation. It seems to be a native of the warm parts 
of the New World, and was imported, we believe, by the Belgian 
cultivators from Mexico. From them we have received it under 
the name of Phytolacca violacea. We have cultivated it hitherto 
in the stove; but it would, no doubt, succeed well in a green- 
house in the summer, at which season it bears flowers and fruits 
copiously. 
Descr. Our plants are about two feet high, suffruticose below, 
branched and herbaceous above; dranches terete, sometimes 
slightly tinged with purple, glabrous, as is every part of the 
plant. Leaves three to four inches long, slightly fleshy, elliptical- 
ovate, petiolate, sharply acuminate, penninerved, entire ; petioles 
one and a half to two inches long. acemes inserted on the 
branch, opposite to the leaf, very long, graceful, drooping, con- 
tinuing to lengthen as the flowers expand and as the fruits ripen. 
Peduncles two to three inches long, stout. Rachis eight to ten 
inches long, bright coral-red ; pedicels also red, a line to a line 
and a half long in flower, four lines in fruit, bracteolate. Pe- 
rianth of five, spreading, obovate, yellow-green sepals. Stamens 
frequently ten, varying to fifteen and even to twenty. Filaments 
erect, slender. Anther ovate. Ovary globose, terminated by 
ten or more subulate recurved styles, having a line on the upper 
side, forming the stigmatic surface. Berries about as large as a 
small pea, depresso-globose, umbilicated, glossy, at first green, 
then dark purple, at length almost jet-black. On withering the 
fruit becomes costate, the pulpy substance shrinking between 
the cells, and presenting as many ribs and furrows as there are 
seeds. 
Fig. 1. Flower. 2, 3. Stamens. 4. Berry. 5. The same, cut through 
transversely :—magnijied. 6. Withered costate fruit :—wat. size. 
ae 
3 
