(n) chiefly tropical herbaceous plants (including shrubs and trees) with racemose flowers: genera Phytolacca, Agdestis, Ercilla, Rivina, Trichostigma, Syn. family Phytolaccaceae, pokeweed family
‖prop. n. [ NL., fr. Gr. fyto`n plant + It. lacca lac. ] (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous plants, some of them having berries which abound in intensely red juice; poke, or pokeweed. [ 1913 Webster ]