[Greek phyton, plant, and Latin lacca, crimson dye, in reference to the pigment the berries yield]

Phytolacca acinosa Credit: Harvard University Herbaria

Herbs [shrubs or trees], perennial. Leaves alternate. Inflorescences axillary, terminal, or leaf-opposed racemes or spikes, 5-100-flowered, proximalmost pedicels sometimes bearing more than 1 flower. Flowers: sepals 5-8; stamens (7-)8-25(-30), sometimes in 1-2 whorls; carpels 6-12(-30), distinct or connate at least proximally; if connate, ovary 6-12-loculed; style and stigma 1 per carpel. Fruits either oblate berries, style persisting in ring at apex, or group of lenticular achenes. Seeds 6-12(-30) per berry or 1 per achene.

Species ca. 25 (6 in the flora): North America, Mexico, West Indies, Central America, South America, Eurasia, Africa, Pacific Islands, Australia.

Phytolacca dioica Linnaeus, the ombú, a fast-growing, wide-spreading, evergreen, unisexual South American tree to 25 m, is sparingly cultivated in the warmest regions of the flora.

Yet to be written is the last word on the taxonomy and nomenclature of our introduced taxa of Phytolacca.

Lower Taxa

• Phytolacca acinosa Roxburgh
• Phytolacca americana Linnaeus
• Phytolacca americana var. americana
• Phytolacca americana var. rigida (Small) Caulkins & R. E. Wyatt
• Phytolacca bogotensis Kunth
• Phytolacca heterotepala H. Walter
• Phytolacca icosandra Linnaeus
• Phytolacca octandra Linnaeus