FLOWERING PLANTS AND FERNS OF ARIZONA 295 



2. Tripterocalvx wootonii Standi., Contrib. U. S. Natl. Herbarium 

 12: 329. 1909. 

 Apache County to Coconino County. 4.400 to 0.200 feet, May to 

 September. Northern New Mexico and Arizona. 



37. PHYTOLACCACEAE. Pokeberry family 



Plants perennial, herbaceous or nearly so; stems leafy: leaves alter- 

 nate, petioled, with entire blades; flowers mostly perfect, small, in 

 axillary and terminal racemes; perianth of 4 or 5 distinct or nearly 

 distinct segments, whitish; fruit berrylike, juicy, of 1 or several 

 carpels. 



Key to the genera 



1. Sepals and stamens commonly 4; fruit 1 -seeded 1. Rivixa. 



1. Sepals normally 5; stamens 9 to 12; fruit several-seeded. _ 2. Phytolacca 



1. RIVIXA. Rouge-plant, pigeoxberry 



Plant herbaceous or barely sunrutescent; stems erect, up to 1 meter 

 high; leaf blades ovate, acute or acuminate; perianth white or 

 pinkish; style and stigma 1; fruit red or yellow at maturity. 



1. Rivina humilis L., Sp. PL 121. 1753. 



Rivina portulacoides Nutt., Amer. Phil. Soc. Trans, ser. 2, 5: 

 167. 1837. 



Greenlee County to Maricopa County, south to Cochise, Santa 

 Cruz, and Pima Counties, 1,600 to 4,500 feet, ravines and canyons, 

 mostly in shade, June to August. Florida to Arizona, southward into 

 tropical America. 



In Mexico a red dye is obtained from the fruits, and the leaves are 

 reported to be used medicinally. The plant is worth cultivating as an 

 ornamental. 



2. PHYTOLACCA. Pokeberry 



Stems tall, usually branched, very juicy; leaves large, the blades 

 ovate-lanceolate, acute or acuminate at both ends; racemes terminal 

 but appearing opposite the leaves as growth of the stem continues; 

 styles and stigmas several, the styles recurved; fruit depressed-globose, 

 dark purple (nearly black) at maturity, with 1 seed in each cell. 



1. Phytolacca americana L., Sp. PL 441. 1753. 



Chiricahua Mountains, Cochise County (Fowler in 1933), near 

 Patagonia, Santa Cruz County (Peebles et al. 5614), 4,000 to 4,500 

 feet, August, perhaps introduced from farther east. Maine and 

 Ontario to Florida, Texas, and Arizona. 



Also known as pokeweed, and scoke. The roots and berries 

 contain a bitter substance, probably saponin, and are poisonous, but 

 the succulent young shoots are esteemed as a potherb and are harmless 

 when thoroughly cooked. The root has been used medicinally. 



38. AIZOACEAE, Aizoon family 



Plants annual, often succulent, with low or prostrate, usually 

 branched stems; leaves opposite or nearly so, or in whorls, entire; 

 flowers perfect, axillary, solitary or in small clusters, inconspicuous; 



