128 PHYTOLACCACEAE (POKEWEED FAMILY) 



along its sides ; the single seed inside is also enclosed within 

 the tube formed by the united filaments of the five stamens. 

 These woolly and crested seed envelopes are very light and blow 

 easily before the wind. (Fig. 80.) 



Means qf control 



After the use of the horse-hoe is impracticable, continue the 

 tillage of infested crops in order to prevent the distribution of late- 

 maturing seeds. Plants on waste ground should be repeatedly cut 

 in order to prevent contamination of adjacent land. 



POKEWEED OR POKEBERRY 

 Phytoldcca decdndra, L. 



Other English names: Virginia Poke, Scoke, Garget, Pigeon Berry, 

 Ink Berry, Cancer Jalap, Redweed. 



Native. Perennial. Propagates by 



Time of bloom: July to September. 



Seed-time: Late August to No- 

 vember. 



Range : Maine and Ontario to Min- 

 nesota, southward to Florida and 

 Texas. 



Habitat: Fence rows, thickets, and 

 waste ground. 



A very handsome plant, which has 

 been carried to Europe and natural- 

 ized as an ornament in gardens. But 

 when growing uncared for it is a 

 dangerous weed ; the root is very 

 poisonous and the berries when eaten 

 cause excessive nausea but are not 

 emetic. Both root and berries are 

 used in medicine, the drug market 

 price for the root being two to five 

 cents a pound and for the berries 

 five cents a pound ; the latter being 

 FIG. 81. Pokeweed (Phytolacca carefully dried on the stems, when 

 decandra). x $. fully ripe, and the root collected in 



