Phytolacca sandwicensis, also known as Hawai'i pokeweed, is a member of the Phytolaccaceae family and is a flowering and fruit bearing species endemic to the Hawaiian Islands, where it is found on Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Maui, and Hawaiʻi. Locally it is referred to as pōpolo kū mai and/or pōpolo. Pōpolo itself is a term for any Solanum species, which its berries resemble.
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Is it poisonous?
Considered toxic. Public sources list it as such; we have not verified this individually. The note covers its whole genus. Leaves, berries, and roots contain phytolaccatoxin and phytolaccigenin. The toxicity of young leaves can be reduced with repeated boiling and draining. Ingestion of poisonous parts of the plant may cause severe stomach… Never eat, touch or handle a wild plant, mushroom or animal on the strength of an identification; ask someone qualified.
Easily confused with
- Phytolacca rugosa — considered toxic
- Phytolacca bogotensis — considered toxic
- Phytolacca thyrsiflora — considered toxic
- Phytolacca japonica — considered toxic
- Phytolacca polyandra — considered toxic
Classification
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Phylum
- Tracheophyta
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Order
- Caryophyllales
- Family
- Phytolaccaceae
- Genus
- Phytolacca
- Species
- Phytolacca sandwicensis
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