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THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO POKE

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO POKE

27 Aug
Posted By: Anastasiya Times Read: 1485

COMMON NAME: Poke

LATIN NAME: Phytolacca americana

ORIGIN: North America and Bermuda.

HABITAT: North America and Bermuda. This plant grows in weedy places, along roads, near housing and in gardens.

BOTANICAL INFORMATION: Poke (Phytolacca americana) belongs to the most famous genus Phytolacca in the Phytolaccaceae family. The genus includes approximately 35 species of perennial grasses growing in the tropics and subtropics of America and Africa, as well as in South and East Asia.

Poke is giant perennial grass with many-headed rhizome, thick, juicy, mostly reddish stems and large brushes of whitish or greenish flowers. It can reach a height up to 3 m, The leaves are ovoid, usually glabrous, without stipules, with a short angular petiole. The flowers are bisexual, usually actinomorphic and small. The plant has ten stamens. The fruit is a berry with a shiny surface, dark red, or almost black and dark red coloring juice. It blooms in June-September. The fruits ripen in September-October.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION:

Phytolacca americana is rich in many potent biologically active substances. The roots contain alkaloids, phytolaccine, lectins, carbohydrates, essential oil, oleanolic and ialigonic acids, steroids, triterpene saponins; fruits contain carbohydrates and related compounds (pinite); saponins, alcohols, are found in the leaves; saponins, flavonoids (astragaline, isocvercitrin, kempferol, and others), phenolcarboxylic acids ;  triterpenoids, saponins, neolignans are found  in the seeds. In addition, a protein (PAP-toxin) was found in the roots that cured other problem.

HISTORY:

The name of the genus and family comes from the Greek "Phyton" - plant and Latin “Lacca” - varnish that is associated with shiny, as if varnished, dark red, densely arranged berries.

Europeans brought the plant to their land after the discovery of America. Phytolacca americana is cultivated in Europe since 1615, the plant came from Iran.

Starting from the 18th century, Phytolacca americana was specially grown in the wine-growing regions of Europe and Asia; the dark red juice of its berries was used as an intensive food coloring for confectionery and coloring of wines (especially light ones).

The people valued Phytolacca americana for its magical properties. They believed that it could withdraw the evil eye and curses, took the plant with them for courage. In addition, berry juice was used as magical ink.

*Be sure to follow relevant directions on product labels and consult with your pharmacist or physician or other healthcare professional before using.

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