POKEWEED FAMILY 



PHYTOLACCACEAE 



POKEWEED. COMMON POKE 



Phytolacca americana L. 



The Pokeweed family is represented in Illinois by only this 

 species, which is variously called Pokeweed, Pokeberry, Common 

 Poke, Pigeon Berry and Inkberry. It is found in waste places, 



fields, open woods and 

 thickets throughout most of 

 the eastern and southeastern 

 parts of the United States, 

 and is one of the few Ameri- 

 can plants that have be- 

 come widely established as 

 weeds in Europe. The 

 young shoots are sometimes 

 eaten like Asparagus and, 

 the leaves are often used as 

 greens. A tincture from the 

 roots is much used in medi- 

 cine, and extract from the 

 berries is used in antitat 

 drugs. 



It is a smooth, narcotic- 

 odored, somewhat fleshy 

 herbaceous plant with a 

 branching stem that grows 

 3-10 feet tall and a large 

 perennial root that is poison- 

 ous. The alternate leaves 

 are 8-1 2 inches long, oblong- 

 lanceohite or ovate-lanceo- 

 late, pinnately veined, acute or acuminate at both ends and on 

 petioles one-half inch to 4 inches long. 



The plant branches profusely and usually bears many clusters 

 of flowers. There is no corolla but the white sepals are petallike. 

 There are 10 short stamens and a green ovary with 10 recurved 

 styles. The inedible fruits are dark purple, very juicy berries, 

 in long racemes.- The Pokeweed blooms from June to September 

 and ripe berries are found from August to October. 



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