Flora of the Southeastern United States

Phytolacca rigida Small. Common name: Maritime Pokeweed. Phenology: May-Dec. Habitat: Dune slacks, dune slopes, edges of tidal marshes, disturbed areas on barrier islands, xeric sandhills near the coast. Distribution: Delaware (reportedly), se. Virginia south to Florida and west to Texas in the Southeastern Coastal Plain.

ID notes: In addition to the characters in the key, Phytolacca rigida is usually smaller, with smaller leaves and a "tidier" habit, than Phytolacca americana.

Origin/Endemic status: Endemic

Taxonomy Comments: Caulkins & Wyatt (1990) reduced P. rigida to varietal rank, but it seems distinct at species rank.

Other Comments: In the northern parts of our area, in NC and VA, P. rigida is rather rare, limited to the vicinity of the coast, and less weedy than P. americana.

Synonymy ⓘ: = S, Hardin (1964a), Rogers (1985); = n/a — C, F, Tat; = Phytolacca americana L. var. rigida (Small) Caulkins & R.E.Wyatt — FNA4, K1, K4, NS, POWO, Va, Caulkins & Wyatt (1990); < Phytolacca americana L. — Fl5, GW2, RAB, Tx, WH3, Rzedowski & Calderon de Rzedowski (2000); < Phytolacca decandra L. — S13, misapplied. Basionym: Phytolacca rigida Small 1905

Links to other floras: = Phytolacca americana var. rigida - FNA4

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Great Plains: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Midwest: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)
• Northcentral & Northeast: FACU (taxonomic split from wetland indicator species)

Heliophily ⓘ: 9