Aquatic plant ID

[Tim Abbott]

Hi Ned I hadn't noticed these before, but they are in abundance at the waters edge of the St Johns river east channel north of SR520, some had stalks bigger than this, would the drought have anything to do with them?  Thanks.

[Ira Runyan]

Tim, that looks like Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana), also known as poke root, poke salad (or poke sallet), poke berry, poke, inkberry, cancer root, American nightshade, pigeon berry and other names. The mature plant is poisonous but many people eat the young leaves and stems in the spring, before any red has crept into them, they are harvested by legions of foragers and boiled in at least two changes of water, discarding the water afterwards. The effects of the toxins of this plant can range from embarrassing to very nasty, including diarrhea, vomiting, internal bleeding, rapid heartbeat, convulsions, and much more, up to and including death. The toxins are usually concentrated in the roots, berries and seeds and include an alkaloid (phytolaccine), a resin (phytolaccatoxin), and a saponin (phytolaccigenin).

[Tim Abbott]

Thanks Ira.