LucasLand
The Wildflowers
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The Wildflowers |
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Phytolacca americana
The first link is very interesting in that it is an article dealing with pokeweed and HIV/AIDs. For more information on the antiviral aspects of pokeweed see the original article taken from the link ☼
The second article contains and excellent Description of the plant and instruction on Preparation of the young leaves for meals with a photo of the leaves canned and prepared for the grocery store. This article also has a section on Toxins found in pokeweed. Taken from the link ☼
POKEWEED SUBSTANCE SEEN AS POTENTIALLY POWERFUL AIDS DRUG
WASHINGTON -- For centuries, American Indians used it to treat cuts and infections. Poor folks ate it during hard times. And now the lowly pokeweed appears poised to strike a serious blow against one of the world's worst problems: AIDS. Scientists have discovered that a substance known as pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP) chops up the AIDS virus like a weed-eater slashing its way through, well, pokeweeds. Amid a degree of secrecy, a PAP-based drug is being given in government-approved clinical trials to people infected with the virus. Pokeweed is the central character in a body of folklore. With its purplish stalk and large, shiny leaves, pokeweed grows wild in most eastern states, especially in the South. It has long, drooping clusters of dark purple berries and a large -- and poisonous -- taproot. Boiled and then fried in bacon grease, the plant's most tender leaves form the basis of an old dish of the rural South, "poke salad." Purists say the only authentic pronunciation is "poke salit" or "poke salet," apparently reflecting the ignorance attached to the poverty of those who were forced to depend on it. The dish is said to have a pleasant, tangy flavor.
Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is a robust perennial potherb native to the eastern United States. It belongs to the pokeweed family (Phytolaccaceae), a small family found mostly in Africa and the New World. In addition to pokeweed, it also includes several enormous South American trees and some unusual serpentine vines of the tropics. Poke is derived from the Algonquian Indian word "pakon" or "puccoon," referring to a dye plant used for staining. It is sometimes spelled polk and the leaves were reportedly worn by enthusiastic supporters during the campaign of James K. Polk, 11th president of the United States. The generic name Phytolacca is derived from the Greek word phyton (plant) and the French lac (lake--a dark red pigment), referring to the crimson juice of ripe berries. Pokeweed may grow to nine feet tall, with large, alternate leaves and a carrotlike taproot. It may become a very invasive weed in southern California gardens and is difficult to eradicate when it becomes well-established. Greenish-white flowers are produced in long clusters (racemes) that droop due to the weight of ripening fruit. The flattened berries change from green to shiny purplish-black. Ripe berries yield a crimson juice that was used as a substitute for red ink and to enhance the color of pale wines. The coloring of wine with pokeweed berries has been discouraged because they are very poisonous. Freshly cut young leaves and shoots may be cooked and eaten like spinach. They should be boiled twice, and the first water being discarded. In 1969, when astronaut Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a popular song on the radio was "Poke Salad Annie." The song depicted a poor southern girl who picked a wild plant called pokeweed for a vegetable. The greens are also called poke salet, and they are sometimes canned and sold in markets.
Several toxins have been identified in species of Phytolacca, usually concentrated in the roots, berries and seeds. These poisons include an alkaloid (phytolaccine), a resin (phytolaccatoxin), and a saponin (phytolaccigenin). According to W.H. Lewis and M.P.F. Elvin-Lewis (Medical Botany, 1977), the most serious health hazard from Phytolacca comes from a very toxic plant protein called a lectin. Lectins can cause red blood cells to clump together (agglutinate) and may stimulate abnormal cell division in quiescent B and T-lymphocytes. Lectins are the primary toxic principle in the world's deadliest seeds, including the castor bean (Ricinus communis) and prayer bead (Abrus precatorius). The agglutination property of lectins serves a useful purpose in legumes, by binding and localizing essential nitrogen-fixing bacteria within the swollen nodules of roots.
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However,
improperly picked or prepared, "poke salit" has been known to cause gastric
illness, including vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea that can become bloody.
The Purdue University College of Agriculture advises farmers to keep pokeweed
out of their hay. The cooked greens almost certainly would have no impact on HIV, the human
immunodeficiency virus that causes AIDS. 