PHYTOLACCACEAE. .381 



opposite, narrowly ovoid or oblong, 1-2.5 cm. long. In dry soil, 111. and Minn, to 

 Neb., Colo., Tenn., and Tex. June-Sept. [F. FloridandlA.^., in part.] 



2. Froelichia gracilis Moq. SLENDER FROELICHIA. (I. F. f. 1413.) Similar 

 to the preceding, but the stem slender, sometimes simple, 2.5-5 dm. ^ a ^- Leaves 

 all linear or linear-oblong, acute at both ends, 2-5 cm. long; spikes alternate or 

 opposite, oblong, mostly obtuse, 6-25 mm. long. In dry soil, W. Neb. and Colo, to 

 Tex. June-Sept. 



5. IRESINE P. Br. 



Tall herbs, with opposite broad petioled leaves and small 3-bracted white 

 flowers, in large terminal panicles or panicled spikes. Calyx 5 -parted, the 

 pistillate usually woolly. Stamens 5, rarely fewer; filaments united by their bases, 

 filiform; anthers i-celled. Utricle very small, subglobose, indehiscent. [Greek, 

 in allusion to the woolly pubescence.] About 20 species, natives of warm and 

 temperate regions. Besides the following another occurs in the southwestern U. S. 



i. Iresine paniculata (L.) Kuntze. BLOOD-LEAF. JUBA'S BUSH. (I. F. f. 

 1414.) Annual; stem erect, 0.6-1.5 m. tall, glabrous or nearly so. Leaves ovate, 

 ovate-lanceolate or the upper lanceolate, 0.5-1.5 dm. long; flowers very numer- 

 ous, 2 mm. broad or less, calyx and bracts silvery; pistillate flowers white- villous 

 at the base, about twice as long as the bracts. In dry soil, Ohio to Kans., Md., Fla. 

 and Tex. Widely distributed in tropical America. Aug.-Sept. [/. celosioides L.] 



Family 3. PHYTOLACCACEAE Lindl. 

 Poke-weed Family. 



Herbs (some tropical species shrubs or trees) with alternate entire 

 mostly exstipulate leaves, and perfect regular polygamous or monoecious 

 flowers. Calyx 4-5-parted or of 4 or 5 sepals, its segments or sepals 

 imbricated in the bud. Petals wanting. Stamens as many as the 

 calyx-segments or sepals and alternate with them, or more numer- 

 ous, hypogynous; filaments distinct, or united at the base; anthers 

 2-celled, the sacs longitudinally dehiscent, often nearly separated. Ovary 

 superior, several-celled in most of the genera ; ovules solitary in the 

 cavities, amphitropous. Styles as many as the carpels, short or none ; 

 stigmas linear or filiform. Fruit a berry in the following genus. Endo- 

 sperm of the seed mealy or fleshy. About 22 genera and 85 species, 

 mostly in the tropics. 



x. PHYTOLACCA L. 



Tall perennial herbs, with petioled exstipulate leaves, and small flowers in 

 terminal racemes, which by the further growth of the stem become opposite the 

 leaves. Pedicels bracted at the base and often i-3-bracted above. Calyx of 4 or 5 

 persistent rounded sepals. Stamens 5-15, inserted at the base of the calyx. 

 Ovary composed of 5-15 distinct or somewhat united carpels. Fruit a depressed- 

 globose 5-i5-celled fleshy berry. Seeds I in each cavity, erect, compressed; em- 

 bryo annular in the mealy endosperm. [Name Greek and French, referring to the 

 crimson juice of the berries.] About 10 species, the following of eastern N. Am., 

 the others tropical. 



i. Phytolacca decandra L. Poke. Scoke. PIGEOIN-BERRY. GARGET. 

 (I. F. f. 1415.) A glabrous strong-smelling succulent erect herb, 1-4 in. tall, the 

 root large, poisonous, the stem stout, its pith divided into disks. Leaves oblong- 

 lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate at both ends, 2-3 dm. long; ra- 

 cemes 0.5-2 dm. long; pedicels 4-12 mm. long; flowers perfect; calyx white, 

 4-6 mm. broad; stamens 10, slightly shorter than the sepals; ovary green, 10- 

 celled; styles recurved; berry dark purple, 10-12 mm. in diameter, very juicy, its 

 10 carpels conspicuous when dry. In various situations, Me. and Out. to Minn., 

 Fla. and Tex. Naturalized in Europe. June-Sept. Berries ripe Aug. -Oct. 



