Phytolacca acinosa

Phytolacca acinosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Phytolaccaceae
Genus: Phytolacca
Species:
P. acinosa
Binomial name
Phytolacca acinosa
Roxb.
Synonyms
  • Phytolacca esculenta Van Houtte
  • Phytolacca kaempferi A.Gray
  • Phytolacca pekinensis Hance
  • Pircunia esculenta (Van Houtte) Moq.
  • Sarcoca acinosa (Roxb.) Skalický
  • Sarcoca esculenta (Van Houtte) Skalický

Phytolacca acinosa, the Indian pokeweed, is a species of flowering plant in the family Phytolaccaceae. It is native to temperate eastern Asia; the Himalayas, most of China, Vietnam to Japan, and has been widely introduced to Europe. The species was originally described by William Roxburgh in 1814.

Description

Raphides occur profusely in at least the leaves, young flowers, buds, spikes and bracts of at least P. a. var. venosa.

Range

When the species was originally described it was considered a plant located to Nepal. Currently, the plant is considered native to countries surrounding the Himalayas and introduced to large parts of Europe and parts of the United States (Wisconsin).

Ecology

Indian pokeweed is a hyperaccumulator for manganese.

Toxicity

All parts of the plant are toxic to human and mammals, with reported poisoning cases. This is due to the presence of saponins and alkaloids (phytolaccatoxin and phytolaccagenin).

Uses

As a wild food

The young shoots of Indian pokeweed are cooked and eaten by the Gurung people of western Nepal. They are harvested in June and July.

In traditional medicine

Used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine to treat various ailments and induce abortion.

In extracting heavy metals

Along with other species in its genus, Phytolacca acinosa has the potential to extract heavy metal from contaminated sites.

Other

It is also used as dye for food and textile.

Similar species (look-a-likes)

Due to overlap in diagnostic features Phytolacca acinosa can be confused with Phytolacca americana, Phytolacca latbenia or Phytolacca polyandra.

The root of Phytolacca acinosa can also be mistaken for ginseng root.

Natural products

Phytolacca acinosa is the source of four flavones, four oleanane derivatives, and six triterpenoid saponins.

Flavones

Triterpenoid saponins

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Phytolacca acinosa Roxb". Plants of the World Online. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Phytolacca acinosa Roxb". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2021-06-11.
  3. 1 2 Roxburgh, William (1814), Hortus Bengalensis, or a Catalogue of the Plants Growing in the Hounourable East India Company's Botanical Garden at Calcutta (PDF), Wikidata Q16575978
  4. ↑ Gulliver 1864, p. 251.
  5. ↑ Xue, S. G.; Chen, Y. X.; Reeves, Roger D.; Baker, Alan J. M.; Lin, Q.; Fernando, Denise R. (2004-10-01). "Manganese uptake and accumulation by the hyperaccumulator plant Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae)". Environmental Pollution. 131 (3): 393–399. Bibcode:2004EPoll.131..393X. doi:10.1016/J.ENVPOL.2004.03.011. PMID 15261402.
  6. ↑ Xu, Xianghua; Shi, Jiyan; Chen, Yingxu; Chen, Xincai; Wang, Hui; Perera, Anton (2006-06-27). "Distribution and mobility of manganese in the hyperaccumulator plant Phytolacca acinosa Roxb. (Phytolaccaceae)". Plant and Soil. 285 (1–2): 323–331. Bibcode:2006PlSoi.285..323X. doi:10.1007/S11104-006-9018-2.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Neblea, Monica Angela; Marian, Mădălina Cristina; Aydin, Tuba (2025). "A Comprehensive Review of the Invasive Species Phytolacca acinosa Roxb". Sustainability. 17 (11): 4826. Bibcode:2025Sust...17.4826N. doi:10.3390/su17114826.
  8. ↑ Khakurel, Dhruba; Uprety, Yadav; Łuczaj, Łukasz; Rajbhandary, Sangeeta (2021-10-21). "Foods from the wild: Local knowledge, use pattern and distribution in Western Nepal". PLOS One. 16 (10) e0258905. Bibcode:2021PLoSO..1658905K. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0258905. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 8530312. PMID 34673823.
  9. ↑ "Phytolacca acinosa | Manual of the Alien Plants of Belgium". alienplantsbelgium.be. Retrieved 2021-07-24.
  10. ↑ "Prevention of Phytolaccaceae poisoning". Prevention of Phytolaccaceae poisoning. Retrieved 14 February 2026.
  11. ↑ Xiao-Pan Ma; Wen-Fang Zhang; Ping Yi; Jun-Jie Lan; Bin Xia; Sai Jiang; Hua-Yong Lou; Wei-Dong Pan (2017). "Novel Flavones from the Root of Phytolacca acinosa Roxb". Chemistry and Biodiversity. 14 (12). doi:10.1002/cbdv.201700361. PMID 28963759. Wikidata Q47894904. {{Cite Q}}: Missing first/last names in Wikidata for Xiao-Pan Ma, Wen-Fang Zhang, Ping Yi, Jun-Jie Lan, Bin Xia, Sai Jiang, Hua-Yong Lou, Wei-Dong Pan (help)
  12. ↑ T.K. Razdan; S. Harkar; V. Kachroo; G.L. Koul; E.S. Waight (1983). "Triterpenoids from Phytolacca acinosa, three oleanane derivatives". Phytochemistry. 22 (8): 1797–1800. doi:10.1016/s0031-9422(00)80274-5. Wikidata Q104950731. {{Cite Q}}: Missing first/last names in Wikidata for T.K. Razdan, S. Harkar, V. Kachroo, G.L. Koul, E.S. Waight (help)
  13. ↑ Jiao He; Jie Ma; Dao-Wan Lai; Yong-min Zhang; Wen-Ji Sun (2011). "A new triterpenoid saponin from the roots of Phytolacca acinosa". Natural Product Research. 25 (18): 1771–1775. doi:10.1080/14786419.2010.535155. PMID 21827284. Wikidata Q45204476. {{Cite Q}}: Missing first/last names in Wikidata for Jiao He, Jie Ma, Dao-Wan Lai, Yong-min Zhang, Wen-Ji Sun (help)

Bibliography