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Petiveria alliacea
Phytolaccaceae FAMILY

Petiveria alliacea

Petiveria alliacea

Edibility
0/5
Medicinal
4/5

Safety & Hazards

The sharp spines of the fruit penetrate the skin readily and painfully if the plant is handled carelessly[1]. The plant can accumulate nitrates and has caused nitrate poisoning in cattle[2].

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Prefers a rich, moist soil and a position in partial shade[3]. The plant has become established in many areas outside its native range in tropical Africa and Asia[4].

Propagation

Seed - Cuttings of half-ripe wood[3]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Petiveria+alliacea>

Pollinators

Data unavailable

References

  1. [1]Contributions from the United States National Herbarium Vol. 27 — Standley P.C. · Smithsonian Institute; Washington. · 1928 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org ↩︎Contains a Flora of the Panama Canal zone
  2. [2]Protabase - Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. — http://www.prota.org ↩︎An excellent on-line database with detailed information on over 3,200 species of useful plants of Africa.
  3. [3]Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses. — Bown. D. · Dorling Kindersley, London. · 1995 · ISBN 0-7513-020-31 ↩︎A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.
  4. [4]Flowering Plants of Jamaica — Adams. C.D. · University of the West Indies; Jamaica. · 1972 ↩︎A terse treatment of the flowering plants of Jamaica, with a botanical description of each plant, notes on habitat etc.
  5. [5]Mansfeld's Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Plants — http://mansfeld.ipk-gatersleben.de/pls/htmldb_pgrc/f?p=185:3:4292127278597336 ↩︎Terse details of a huge range of useful plants.
  6. [6]Flora Medica — Lindley J. · Longman, Orme, Brown, Green and Longmans: London · 1838 · http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/ ↩︎A massive work - many of the botanical names have changed, but the book is still a wealth of information.