Phytolacca octandra
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant in the family Phytolaccaceae}}
{{Speciesbox
|image= Phytolacca octandra flowers.jpg
|genus=Phytolacca
|species=octandra
|authority=L.
|synonyms =
{{Plainlist | style=margin-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em; |
- Phytolacca americana var. mexicana L.
}}
|synonyms_ref={{cite web|access-date=28 June 2015|title=Phytolacca octandra|url=http://www.theplantlist.org/tpl1.1/record/kew-2562609|work=The Plant List}}
}}
Phytolacca octandra, also known as inkweed or red inkplant, is a herbaceous perennial plant in the pokeweed family Phytolaccaceae, originating from the Neotropical realm of the Americas.
Description
Inkweed is a member of the family Phytolaccaceae, growing up to {{Convert|1|m|ft|abbr=off|frac=2}}. The leaves measure 6-15 cm in length.{{cite web|access-date=5 January 2015|title=Phytolacca octandra|url=http://www.tropicos.org/Name/24800064|work=Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden}}
Taxonomy
Phytolacca octandra was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the second edition of Species Plantarum in 1762. The name Phytolacca is derived from the Greek word phyton ("plant") and the Latin word lacca ("red dye"), while Octandra is a Latin name referring to the eight stamens of the plant.{{cite book|date=2000|first=Umberto|last=Quattrocchi|page=2065|publisher=CRC Press|title=CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kaN-hLL-3qEC|volume=3 M-Q}} The species is sometimes considered a synonym for Phytolacca icosandra.{{cite web |url=http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?9362 |title=GRIN Species Records of Phytolacca |work=Germplasm Resources Information Network |publisher=United States Department of Agriculture |accessdate=2011-02-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20001027171110/http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/splist.pl?9362 |archive-date=2000-10-27 |url-status=dead }}
Distribution
Gallery
Phytolacca octandra L. (AM AK71786).jpg|Herbarium specimen
Phytolacca octandra 276868747.jpg|Flowers
Phytolacca octandra 273205856.jpg|Leaves
Phytolacca octandra 297992358.jpg|Ripe fruit (centre) and unripe fruit (right)
References
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Category:Flora of Northern America
Category:Flora of Southern America