American pokeweed
Phytolacca americana
Phytolacca americana, commonly known as American pokeweed, is a large herbaceous perennial native to North …
Red inkplant (Phytolacca octandra)
Inkweed
Eight-stamen pokeweed
Phytolacca octandra: Inkweed and Red Inkplant Guide
Commonly known as inkweed or red inkplant, Phytolacca octandra grows as a highly toxic herbaceous perennial throughout the Neotropical realm of the Americas. This species has spread to various tropical and subtropical regions around the globe, often settling in disturbed soils and agricultural lands.
Due to its high concentration of saponins, the entire plant is considered highly toxic to humans and livestock. It plays a complex ecological role as both a colonizing weed and a food source for certain wild birds.
Taxonomy
- ∟ царство Plantae
- ∟ division Tracheophytes (Vascular Plants)
- ∟ subdivision Spermatophytes (Seed plants)
- ∟ Angiosperms
- ∟ mesangiosperms (Core angiosperms)
- ∟ eudicots
- ∟ core eudicots
- ∟ Superasterids
- ∟ order Caryophyllales
- ∟ family Phytolaccaceae (Pokeweed family)
- ∟ genus Phytolacca (Pokeweed)
- ∟ species Phytolacca octandra (Red inkplant)
Morphology
This erect herb typically grows to a height of 0.2 to 1 meter. Its alternate leaves are lanceolate to ovate, measuring 6 to 15 centimeters in length and 2 to 6 centimeters in width.
The flowers are arranged in dense terminal racemes that range from 5 to 15 centimeters long. Notable characteristics of its reproductive organs include:
- White to red-purple sepals measuring approximately 2.2 to 3 millimeters.
- A single whorl of 7 to 8 stamens, which gives the plant its specific name.
- An ovary with 7 to 8 fully connate carpels that develop into dark purple berries.
Applications
Historically, the dark juice of the ripe berries was used as a cheap substitute for writing ink and red dye. This utility earned the plant its common names like inkweed and red inkplant.
Medical applications are virtually non-existent in modern pharmacology due to the plant's high toxicity. In agriculture, it is generally treated as a noxious weed that must be managed to prevent livestock poisoning.
Interesting facts
The plant was first formally described by the famous Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1762. Its botanical description was published in the second edition of his landmark work, Species Plantarum.
- The name octandra translates from Latin to mean "having eight stamens."
- Some taxonomists consider this species to be closely related to or a synonym of Phytolacca icosandra.
Geography of distribution
- South Africa
- Mexico
- Colombia
- Ecuador
Sources
- POWO (Plants of the World Online)
- WFO (World Flora Online)
- Linnaeus, Species Plantarum (1762)
See also
Ombu
Phytolacca dioica
Phytolacca dioica, known as the ombú, is a massive South American plant with a broad …
Indian pokeweed
Phytolacca acinosa
An upright perennial herb from the Himalayas and East Asia, notable for its rigid spikes …
Button pokeweed
Phytolacca icosandra
A tall neotropical perennial herb in the pokeweed family bearing dense cylindrical spikes of flowers …