Phytolacca

Phytolacca is a genus of flowering plants commonly called pokeweeds, native mainly to tropical and subtropical regions. Its species include plants valued as ornamentals and traditional foods, as well as poisonous plants.

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Phytolaccaceae: Phytolaccaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes Phytolacca and several related genera. This family places the genus among its closest botanical relatives.
Phytolacca americana: Phytolacca americana, or American pokeweed, is a tall North American perennial with dark berries and poisonous tissues. It is the best-known species and a frequent reference point for the genus.
Poke sallet: Poke sallet is a traditional dish made from young pokeweed leaves that are boiled, often with the cooking water discarded. It is a regional food practice associated chiefly with American pokeweed.
Pokeweed poisoning: Pokeweed poisoning is illness caused by ingesting toxic parts of plants in the genus Phytolacca. The risk is especially associated with misidentifying or improperly preparing plant material.
Caryophyllales: Caryophyllales is an order of flowering plants that includes cacti, carnations, and Phytolaccaceae. The order gives the broader evolutionary context for pokeweeds.
Phytolacca acinosa: Phytolacca acinosa is an Asian pokeweed species cultivated for its edible young shoots when properly prepared. It illustrates food use within a genus that also contains toxic species.
Ornamental plant: An ornamental plant is cultivated primarily for its visual qualities rather than for food or materials. Several pokeweeds are grown for their foliage, flowers, or colorful fruit.
Phytolaccatoxin: Phytolaccatoxin is a toxic compound associated with pokeweed plants. It is among the substances implicated in pokeweed’s poisonous effects.
Raceme: A raceme is an unbranched flower cluster in which individual flowers grow on short stalks along a central axis. Many pokeweeds bear their flowers in elongated racemes.
Phytolacca dioica: Phytolacca dioica, the ombú, is a large South American evergreen tree-like plant with a massive trunk base. Its tree-like form contrasts with the herbaceous habit common among pokeweeds.