Flora Medica

PHYTOLACCACE^E.Nat.syst. ed. 2. p. -210.PHYTOLACCA.Calyx 5-parted, coloured, permanent. Stamens and styles10, or more. Fruit depressed, furrowed, 10- or more-celled,covered with a succulent flesh. Seeds solitary.730. P. decandra Linn. sp. pi. 631. Sot. Mag.t. 931. Bigeloiomed. hot. i. t. 3 North America. Supposed to havebeen introduced to the south of Europe, where it is now a commonweed. " Pocan " is the Virginian name, whence " Poke "the vulgar name ; also " Garget, Cocum, Jalap, Pigeon-berries"in North America.Root of a large size, frequently exceeding a man's leg in thickness,usually branched, fleshy, fibrous, and easily cut or broken ; internallydistinctly marked with concentric rings of considerable thickness,while its outer surface is covered with a very thin brownish bark,which seems to be little more than a cuticle. Stems, which are annual,frequently 6, or even 9 feet high, round, smooth, and very muchbranched ;when young, their usual colour is green but in most ; plantsafter the berries have ripened, they are of a fine purple. Leaves scattered,stalked, ovate-oblong, smooth on both sides, ribbed underneath,entire, acute. Flowers on long pedunculated racemes opposite to theleaves. Peduncles nearly smooth, angular, ascending. Pedicels divaricated,sometimes branched, green, white, or purple, furnished with asmall linear bract at the base, and two others in the middle. Calvxwhitish, consisting of 5 round-ovate, concave, incurved sepals. Stamens10, rather shorter than the sepals, with white, roundish, 2-lobedanthers. Ovary round, depressed, 10-furrowed. Styles 10, short, recurved.Berries in long clusters, dark purple, almost black, depressedor flattened, and marked with 10 furrows on the sides. Root anemetic, approaching nearly to Ipecacuanha. Bigelow says, that " fromabundant experience, the result of many trials made in dispensarypractice, I am satisfied that, when properly prepared, it operates in the"same doses and with the same certainty as that drug. Its exhibitionsometimes attended by slight narcotic symptoms. Externally applied itexcites a sense of heat and smarting ; it cures psora, and tasnia capitis.351