Phytolacca decandra. 215 
PHARM. 
PuyToLaccz decandre. Herba recens, succus, radix, bacce. 
Tue Poke is a well-known, large, rank plant, growing abundantly in 
every part of the United States, in wastes, rubbish, and near fences 
and road sides. It grows to the height of six or eight feet, and 
sometimes attains even a greater stature. The root is very large, 
often five or six inches in diameter, and consists of a solid, but 
soft, fleshy, fibrous mass of whitish colour. It is branched in one 
or two large portions; when dried, it becomes light and spongy. 
The stem is thick, round, much branched and very glabrous; the 
branches are large, and spread in various directions, giving the plant 
a breadth of four or five feet. The leaves are ovate, narrowed at 
each end, acute, strongly veined on the under surface, and very 
smooth on both sides. They are frequently tinged near the base 
and along the costa with purple, and when old are quite reddish, 
Those situated on the lower portions of the stem and branches are 
very large, often nine or ten inches in length; the upper are 
considerably smaller; and all of them are supported on short foot- 
stalks. The stems are at first green, but become afterwards of a fine 
purple hue. The flowers are small, numerous, and borne on long 
racemes, sometimes erect, and often drooping, as is the case with the 
berries. The corolla consists of five small, ovate, concave petals, 
folding inwards ; there is no calix. Stamens, ten in number, shorter 
