pokeweed

pokeweed or pokeberry, tall, bushy perennial herb (Phytolacca americana) native to North America but cultivated and naturalized in Europe. The long clusters of white flowers are followed by purplish black flattened berries, whose crimson juice has been used as ink and to color wines but is considered poisonous. The dried roots are sometimes used as an emetic or purgative; the young shoots are used for greens or eaten like asparagus. The plant is also called poke, inkberry, and garget. Pokeweed is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Magnoliopsida, order Chenopodiales, family Phytolaccaceae.

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pokeweed

 also called pokeberry or poke

Strong-smelling shrublike plant (Phytolacca americana) with a poisonous root resembling the shape of horseradish, native to wet or sandy areas of eastern North America. It has white flowers, reddish black berries, and dark green leaves that often are red-veined or borne on red leafstalks. The berries contain a red dye used to colour wine, candies, cloth, and paper. Like the roots, the red or purplish mature stalks are poisonous. Very young green shoots (up to about 6 in. [15 cm]), however, are edible.