Duration: Perennial

Nativity: Non-Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Stems tall, branching, juicy, 1-2 m tall, glabrous to puberulent.

Leaves: Large, ovate-lanceolate to elliptic, 5-30 cm long, acute or acuminate at base and tips.

Flowers: Small and on erect spikelike racemes, with 5 petal-like sepals, appearing opposite the leaves, stamens many, styles and stigmas several, styles recurved, calyx 2-3 mm long, green, white or pink.

Fruits: Juicy, globose berries, dark purple to black at maturity, bright red when young.

Ecology: Found in disturbed or burned habitats from 5,000-6,000 ft (1524-1829 m), flowers July-December.

Distribution: Ranges south into Mexico to northern South America, naturalized in the old world.

Notes: Distinguished from P. americana by the dense spikelike raceme, which is erect in fruit.

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Phytolacca is from Greek phyton for plant and the Latin lacca, crimson lake for the berry color, while rivinoides emerges from the root for growing by streams.

Synonyms: Phytolacca icosandra, many others see Tropicos

Editor: LCrumbacher, 2011