AMERICAN MEDICINAL FLOWERS, FRUITS, AND SEEDS. 5 



for the distillation of the oil, but the entire leafy part is sometimes employed 

 for this purpose. Wormseed is cultivated to a considerable extent in parts 

 of Maryland, where the distillation of the plant for the oil is carried on. 



Wormseed is used in medicine as an anthelmintic, that is, for expelling worms. 



The price of wormseed at present ranges from about 8 to 10 cents a pound, 

 and oil of wormseed is quoted at from $2.25 to $2.50 a pound, wholesale. 



POKEWEED. 



Phytolacca americana L. 



Synonym. — Phytolacca decandra L. 



Common names. — Poke, Virginian poke, pigeon berry, garget, scoke, pocan, 

 coakum, inkberry, red inkberry, American nightshade, cancer jalap, redweecl. 



Habitat and range. — 

 Pokeweed is common in 

 rich, moist soil along 

 fences, margins of fields, 

 and in uncultivated land 

 from New England to 

 Minnesota, south to Flor- 

 ida and Texas. It has 

 been naturalized in Eu- 

 rope and is there re- 

 garded as an ornamental. 



Description. — The 

 large perennial root of 

 pokeweed sends up stout, 

 smooth, erect, and 

 branched stems from 3 

 to 9 feet in height, which 

 at first are green and 

 then reddish. Its leaves 

 are rather large, smooth, 

 and borne on short stems ; 

 they measure about 5 

 inches in length and 2 

 to 3 inches in width, 

 ovate or ovate oblong in 

 outline, pointed at the 

 apex, and with unbroken 

 margins. Numerous 

 whitish flowers are pro- 

 duced from about July 

 to September, borne on 

 reddish stems in long- 

 stalked clusters about 3 to 4 inches in length, followed by dark-purple berries. 

 Poke berries are roundish, flattened at both ends, smooth and shining, and con- 

 tain black seeds embedded in a rich, crimson juice. (Fig. 4.) Pokeweed belongs 

 to the pokeweed family (Phytolaccacese). 



Collection, uses, and prices. — The berries are collected when fully mature, 

 about two months after flowering, and the clusters carefully dried in the 

 shade. Poke berries have no odor, and the taste at first is sweetish, then 



Fig. 



4. — Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), flowering and 

 fruiting branches, also root and section of root. 



