1330 



PHYTEUMA 



PHYTOLACCA 



horticultural purposes they may be considered as dis- 

 tinct species. A native of the Alps with fls. of sky-blue 

 (B.M. 2066, erroneously as P. betonicoe folium) or pur- 

 plish blue (B.M. 2271). 



4. Mich61ii, All. This may also be distinguished from 

 P. scorzonerifolium and P. betoniccefolium by having 

 the calyx pilose at the middle, it being glabrous in the 

 other two. A native of Mt. Cenis in Sardinia, with Ivs. 

 never cordate. Color of fls. not stated, probably blue. 



5. betonicaefdlium,Vill. Root-lvs. cordate, long-stalked: 

 bracts fewer than in P. Michelii and probably not re- 

 flexed. Eu. Not B.M. 2066, which is P. scorzoneri- 

 folium. Color of fls. not stated. 



6. spicatum, Linn. The color of the fls. (whitish or 

 yellowish, green at tips) is highly characteristic: lower 

 Ivs. doubly crenate-serrate, long-stalked, cordate: spike 

 oblong, 2-3 in. long. Eu. B.M. 2347. 



7. Halleri, All. Lower Ivs. doubly and coarsely ser- 

 rate, long-stalked: spike ovoid -oblong; fls. dark violet 

 to white. Eu. 



8. limonifdlium, Sibth. & Sm. Fig. 1792. This may be 

 distinguished from P. campanuloides by the stem-lvs., 

 which are fewer and pass into bracts: fls. light blue. 

 The inflorescence is more sparse, but very dainty. Mt. 

 Olympus, Dalmatia, near Naples. B.M. 2145 (P. stricta). 

 L.B.C. 7:667 (P. virgata). 



9. campanuloides, Bieb. Sufficiently distinguished in 

 the key and under No. 8. Caucasus, Armenia. B.M. 

 1015 shows a stalk with over 60 fls., while P. limoni fo- 

 lium has only 12-30. Fls. dark violet. 



10. paucifldrum, Linn. Very dwarf: Ivs. entire; 

 root-lvs. short, obovate-lanceolate : bracts ciliate, entire 

 or subdentate at base, never dentate at apex. Western 

 Alps and Pyrenees. Fls. violet, according to Koch. 



11. globulariaefdlium, Sternb. & Hop. Probably a 

 var. of P. pauciflorum with larger stems, root-lvs. 2-4 

 lines longer and thrice as wide, and the bracts always 

 entire at the base. Austrian Alps. Fls. violet. 



12. hemispheericum, Linn. Lvs. erect; root-lvs. sub- 

 entire, linear or lanceolate-linear, much or little shorter 

 than the stem: bracts ciliate, subentire: fls. blue, white 

 or yellowish. Alps and Pyrenees. 



13. humile, Schleich. Root-lvs. linear-lanceolate, nar- 

 rowed at the base, upper ones remotely denticulate: 

 bracts narrowly lanceolate from an ovate base, sharply 

 toothed. Eu. Gn. 28:502. Fls. blue. 



14. Sieberi, Spreng. (P. 

 Charmelii, Sieb., not Vill.). 

 Lvs. cordate, ovate or ovate- 

 lanceolate, crenate: bracts 

 ovate, acuminate, sharply 

 serrate. Eu. Fls. violet, ac- 

 cording to Koch. 



15. orbiculare, Linn. (P. 

 confusum, Kern. P. Aus- 

 Macum, G. Beck). Lvs. 

 crenate ; root-lvs. cordate 

 or ovate; upper stem-lvs. 

 linear : bracts subserrate. 

 Eu. B.M. 1466 (P. cordata)', 

 fls. purple. L.B.C. 2:122. 

 A very variable species with 

 forms ranging from 2-20 in. 

 high. 



16. Charm61ii, Vill., not 

 Sieb. Probably a botanical 

 variety of P. ScheucTizeri. 

 Bracts 3-6 lines long, erect 

 or spreading. Alps. Here 

 probably belongs the cut la- 

 Deled P. comosum in Gn. 



19, p. 419; 44, p. 554; and P. orbiculare, Gn. 28, p. 90. 



17. Scheuchzeri, All. Bracts 18-24 lines long, reflexed 

 or spreading. This and No. 16 differ from Nos. 10-15 

 inclusive in having few, narrow, unequal bracts instead 

 of many broad ones which are about equal. S. Eu. 

 B.M. 1797 (fls. purple). 



P. Balbtsii, DC., is near P. spicatum: stem 4-6 in. high- 

 root-lvs. cordate: spike white, about 9-1? lines long in flower: 



bracts few, linear, shorter than the fl.: color of fls. not stated. 

 Piedmont. P. Carestice of Bir. is P. humile, JSo. 13, but P. Ca 

 restise of Vill. is P. serratum, a species probably nowhere in 

 cult., and scarcely to be told from P. humile unless it has a 

 larger stem, little wider Ivs. and calyx glabrous instead of mi- 

 nutely ciliate. P. laxiflbrum, R. Beyer and P. Schellanderi, are 

 offered by the National Arboretum at Zoeschen. -yy j^ 



PHYTOLACCA (a hybrid name: Greek, phytos, plant, 

 and French lac, lake; referring to the crimson berries). 

 PhytolaccticecK. P. decandra, our common Pokeberry, 

 is sometimes offered by dealers in native plants and its 

 young asparagus -like shoots are sometimes used as a 

 pot herb. Its flattish berries yield a crimson juice of 

 a very distinct hue, but it has never been fixed for 

 dyeing purposes. Children sometimes make red ink 

 from the berries for amusement. Pokeberry is some- 

 times a troublesome weed. It is thoroughly natural- 

 ized in Europe. It has been used to give color to pale 

 wines, but its use for this purpose is injurious and in 

 Portugal is prohibited by royal decree. The roots are 

 emetic, purgative and somewhat narcotic. The word 

 "poke" is supposed to come from the American Indian 

 word pocan, which apparently referred to any plant 

 yielding a red or yellow dye, as pokeweed or bloodroot. 

 In President Polk's campaign his followers wore leaves 

 of pokeweed. 



In collecting young shoots for greens, care must be 

 taken not to include any portion of the root, as this 

 would give a bitter taste and might cause serious ill- 

 ness. Small pieces of the root eaten by mistake for 

 horse-radish or turnip have caused serious and in some 

 instances fatal cases of poisoning. The seeds are also 

 poisonous. 



Phytolacca is a genus of about 10 species of tropical 

 shrubs, herbs or trees, sometimes climbers: Ivs. alter- 

 nate, sessile or petiolate, acute or obtuse, entire: fls. 

 small, greenish white, borne in long racemes which are 

 at first terminal but by further growth of the stem come 

 opposite the Ivs.; calyx of 4 or 5 persistent rounded 

 sepals; stamens 5-15: ovary of 5-15 distinct or some- 

 what united carpels : fr. a fleshy berry ; seeds 1 in each 

 cavity. 



1793. Pokeweed Phytolacca decandra 



decandra, Linn. 

 POKEBERRY. POKE- 

 WEED . POKEROOT. 

 Also called Scoke, 

 Garget, Pigeon berry 

 and Inkberry. Fig. 

 1793. A glabrous, 

 strong-smelling, per- 

 ennial herb, 4-12 ft. 

 high: root large: Ivs. 

 oblong-lanceolate or 

 ovate-lance olate, 

 acute, petiolate : 

 racemes 2-8 in. long: stamens 10: ovary 10-celled; ber- 

 ries nearly % in. across, ripe Aug -Oct. Me. to Minn., 

 south Fla. to Tex. B.M. 931. D. 93. Gn. 21, p. 179. 

 Mn. 1, p. 53. Common in clearings. A variegated form, 

 once cult, for ornament, is shown in R.H. 1887, p. 16, 

 the Ivs. light green above often shaded rose and more 

 or less margined white, beneath pale rose to violet. 

 LYSTER H. DEWEY and W. M. 



