Phytolaccaceae
Phytolacca

Phytolacca octandra L.

First published in Sp. Pl., ed. 2.: 631 (1762)
This species is accepted
The native range of this species is Mexico to S. Tropical America. It is a perennial or subshrub and grows primarily in the seasonally dry tropical biome. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, has environmental uses, as a medicine and for food.

Descriptions

Extinction risk predictions for the world's flowering plants to support their conservation (2024). Bachman, S.P., Brown, M.J.M., Leão, T.C.C., Lughadha, E.N., Walker, B.E. https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/nph.19592

Conservation
Predicted extinction risk: not threatened. Confidence: confident
[AERP]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Nativa en Colombia; Alt. 1700 - 2800 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Hierba
Conservation
Preocupación Menor
[CPLC]

Phytolaccaceae, B. L. Stannard. Flora Zambesiaca 9:1. 1988

Morphology General Habit
Bushy herb or subshrub, 1–2 m. tall, semi-succulent.
Morphology Stem
Stems glabrous, sometimes trailing.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves: lamina 3.5–13.5 × 1–5 cm., narrowly elliptic to elliptic-lanceolate, base cuneate, decurrent and usually oblique, apex acute-acuminate with often recurved mucronate tip, glabrous; petioles 0.3–2.0 cm. long, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences terminal or lateral, leaf-opposed racemes, 4–14 cm. long, rhachis sparsely and crisply pubescent to glabrescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite, white to yellowish green, subsessile or with pedicels up to 1.5 mm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts 1.5–2 mm. long, lanceolate, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracteoles
Bracteoles c. 1 mm. long, lanceolate to subulate, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 5, 2–3 × 1–1.5 mm., ovate-elliptic, apex rounded to acute, spreading at anthesis, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Disc
Disk very thin, almost non-existent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8 in one whorl; filaments 1–2 mm. long, filiform, united at base; anthers c. 0.5 × 0.25 mm., oblong elliptic.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary of (6) 7–8 (10) united carpels, 1.5–2 mm. in diam., 0.75–1 mm. tall, glabrous; styles c. 0.25–0.5 mm. long, linear.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits (6) 7–8 (10) lobed, 5–8 mm. in diam., depressed globose, remains of styles clustered in apical depression, glabrous, black when ripe.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 2–3 mm. in diam., discoidal; testa shiny black.
[FZ]

Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1700–2800 m a.s.l. Native to Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Boyacá, Cauca, Nariño, Norte de Santander.
Habit
Herb.
Conservation
National Red List of Colombia (2021): Potential LC.
[UPFC]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Morphology General Habit
Herb.
Conservation
Least concern.
Ecology
Alt. 1700 - 2800 m.
Distribution
Native from Colombia.
[UPB]

Phytolaccaceae, R. M. Polhill. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1971

Morphology General Habit
A semi-succulent bushy herb 1–2 m. tall, glabrous on the vegetative parts.
Morphology Leaves
Leaf-blades elliptic-lanceolate or narrowly elliptic, (5–)7–18 cm. long, (1.5–)2.5–6 cm. wide, pointed and with a recurved mucro, cuneate, decurrent and unequal-sided at the base, very narrowly translucent at the margin; crystals visible as short raised lines and dots on the younger leaves; primary lateral nerves 6–10 on either side; petiole 1–3 cm. long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Racemes shortly pedunculate, 6–15(–23) cm. long, subdensely many-flowered, thinly crisped pubescent on the rhachis; bracts subulate or linear-caudate, 1–3 mm. long; pedicels 1–2 mm. long, with narrow bracteoles from the lower part.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers hermaphrodite, whitish or yellowish-green, the sepals sometimes flushed reddish in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals ovate-elliptic, rounded or bluntly pointed, 2.5–3(–3.5) mm. long, spreading, membranous, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens 8–9, a little shorter than the sepals.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Carpels
Carpels (7–)8(–10), united, glabrous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Berry depressed-globose, only slightly lobed, with the style-bases around a median depression, 5–7 mm. across, ripening black or purplish-black.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds lenticular, 2–2.5 mm. across, smooth, glossy black.
Habitat
Waste places; 1500–2100 m.
Distribution
K3 K4 K5 K6 native of tropical America from Mexico to Columbia, locally naturalized elsewhere in the tropics
[FTEA]

Uses

Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.
[UPFC]

Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016).
[UPB]

Common Names

unknown
shang lu, szan-tu

Sources

  • Angiosperm Extinction Risk Predictions v1

    • Angiosperm Threat Predictions
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • EBC Common Names

    • Common Names from Kew's Economic Botany Collection https://www.kew.org/science/collections-and-resources/collections/economic-botany-collection

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
    • Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2025. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    • Copyright applied to individual images

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    • ColPlantA database
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0