This family is sometimes known as the Pokeweed family, and it was the common weed Phytolacca americana or American Pokeweed (above and below) that I found in abundance one summer on land behind my parents' house. Although toxic, there is a hillbilly tradition of boiling the leaves three times to make a food called "poke salad". The term was made famous by Elvis Presley when he sang a cover of the song "Polk Salad Annie" in 1969.
A South American relative of pokeweed is the massive Ombu Tree (Phytolacca dioica), one of which I encountered at the Fullerton Arboretum. Evidently in countries like Argentina and Uruguay this striking shade tree is a symbol of Gaucho culture.
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