216 Phytolacca decandra. 
than the petals, with double white anthers. The pistils are ten, con- 
sisting of a flattened, globose, ten-furrowed green germ, and ten short 
recurved styles. The berries are deep blackish purple, and very 
shining, crowned with the persistent styles. They are full of a fine 
purplish red juice. The pedicels of the flowers are variously co- 
loured, being sometimes white, green and yellow, and often red; 
and when the berries are quite ripe, are of a fine carmine hue. This 
plant commences flowering in July,and sometimes continues in bloom 
during the whole summer. It is common to find flowers, and the 
green and ripe berries for a length of time, on the same stalk. It is 
a native of the South of Europe, some parts of Africa, and North 
America. 
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS. 
We are indebted to M. Braconnot* for an excellent chemical ana- 
lysis of this vegetable. According to this chemist, the Poke contains 
an unusual quantity of vegetable alkali in neutral combination with 
a peculiar acid allied to the malic, but in his opinion, a mean between 
this and the oxalic acids. In his experiments with the colouring 
matter of the berries, M. Braconnot discovered that a yellow liquor, 
formed by the combination of the purple juice of the ripe berries 
and lime water, was a very delicate test of the presence of an acid. 
* Annales de Chimie, vol. lxxii. 
