266 



BOTANY AND PHARMACOGNOSY. 



The leaves are simple, ovate-lanceolate (Fig. 139). The flowers 

 are in racemes and characterized by having ten stamens. The 

 fruit is a dark purple, juicy berry. 



Fig. 139. Poke weed {Phytolacca decandra) : A portion of shoot showing leaves and 

 stem which has a large pith with bi-convex cavities resembling the pith of certain xero- 

 phytic Composites, as Senecio prcucox of Mexico; B. raceme showing fruits at the lower end 

 and flowers at the upper end ; C, transverse section of leaf showing upper epidermis (ue), 

 palisade cells (p), raphides (r), spiral tracheae (v), parenchyma (m) with large intercel- 

 lular spaces, lower epidermis (le) ; D, stoma of lower surface of leaf; E, transverse section 

 of fruit; F, longitudinal section of seed, the embryo being curved and the endosperm 

 containing starch. 



The roots of this species as well as others contain powerful 

 drastic principles, as Pircunia lift oral is and Anisomeria drastica 

 of Chile. Phytolacca ahyssinica contains saponin, and a red color- 



