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| Common name | Inkweed | |
| Botanical name | Phytolacca octandra | |
| Other common names | red-ink plant; dyeberry; | |
| Family | Phytolaccaceae | |
| General description | Perennial herb or small shrub with smooth succulent stems growing to 2m. Often found as a weed of waste places, creek banks and roadsides. | |
| Flowers | Flowers are white to pale green becoming purplish, held in dense axillary racemes or spikes 7-15cm long, | |
| Leaves | The soft leaves are elliptic to ovate, tapered into the petiole, 5-25cm long and 1-8cm wide, with entire margins. | |
| Fruit/Berries | Fruits are succulent flattened globose berries, purplish black when ripe with 7 to 8 segments, about 8mm in diameter and held in compact clusters along a spike (raceme). The berry contains about 6-8 hard shiny seeds. | |
| Other | Copious red juice exuded from berries. | |
| Symptoms | All parts of the plant are poisonous. Symptoms from ingestion may include headache, burning in the mouth, abdominal cramping, vomiting and diarrhoea. The acrid sap can cause skin irritation. | |
| Toxicity category | 1, 2 | |
| Warning | Seek medical attention if exposure causes symptoms. |
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