General description:- Herbs, shrubs or trees with alternate, entire leaves.

1) Flowers, in racemes.
2) Perianth-segments, 5, free, persistent.
3) Stamens, hypogynous.
4) Carpels, united at least at the base (rarely free), each containing a single ovule.

PHYTOLACCA

1) Racemes, usually opposite the leaves
2) Perianth-segments, small, between sepaloid and petaloid in colour and texture.
3) Stamens, 10 or more;
4) Carpels, 10 or fewer.
5) Fruit, a berry or cluster of drupelets.

Key features:-
1) Herb, sometimes woody at the base; flowers hermaphrodite; stamens 8 or 10.
2) Stamens 10; carpels 10, united.
PHYTOLACCACEAE