406 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM. 
twice as many, inserted at the base of a disk; ovary superior, 1-celled, 1-ovuled, the 
styles often 3, ultimately becoming a small dry drupelike fruit. 
Our species have all been recognized as belonging to one genus, Rhus, but they 
are so different in general appearance that it seems best to follow Doctor Greene in 
separating them into several genera, though the characters upon which the separa- 
tion is based are mostly vegetative rather than floral. 
KEY TO THE GENERA. 
Flowers appearing before the leaves, in small crowded 
clusters. 
Leaves 1 or 3-foliolate; flowers yellow, tinged with red. 1. Scumaurzta (p. 406). 
Leaves 5 to 9-foliolate; flowers white.................. 2. Rxeorrprum (p. 408). 
Flowers appearing after the leaves, in their axils or in 
panicles terminating the stems. 
Leaves 3-foliolate, poisonous; generally under- 
shrubs with slender stems.................. 3. Tox1copENDRON (p. 408). 
Leaves pinnately several to many-foliolate, not 
poisonous; shrubby plants with thick stems, 
one species with hard wood................ 4. Ruus (p. 408). 
1. SCHMALTZIA Desy. Lemirta. 
Widely branching shrubs, 2 meters high or less; leaves unifoliolate or trifoliolate, 
the leaflets mostly cuneate-obovate, crenately and coarsely few-toothed, the terminal 
ones often 3-lobed; flowers yellow or reddish yellow, in crowded clusters on very short 
peduncles on the branches of the previous season, appearing before the leaves; fruit 
orange scarlet, globose, 4 to 6 mm. in diameter. 
The roots of these plants are used by the Indians in forming patterns for their 
basketry. The bark is of a dark reddish brown color. The plants are also used in 
setting dyes. Mexicans sometimes use the stems in making baskets, mixing them 
with willow branches. The berries were used as food by some of the Indians. 
KEY TO THE SPECIES. 
Leaves unifoliolate.... 2.22.02. 0 ee eee eee eee 1. S. affinis. 
Leaves trifoliolate. 
Young twigs densely velvety-pubescent with long yellowish 
hairs... . 2... 2-2 eee cence eee eee 2. S. emoryi. 
Young twigs merely puberulent or soft-pubescent, the hairs not 
yellowish. 
Bracts of the aments tomentose all over, 
Fruit densely long-hirsute; leaflets small, thick, nearly 
glabrous, at least on the upper surface......... 6. S. quercifolia. 
Fruit sparingly short-hirsute; leaflets large, thin, pubes- 
cent on both surfaces ..............22.2--2--2-- 7. S. bakeri. 
Bracts of the aments glabrous or glabrate, at least on the up- 
per half. 
Terminal leaflet abruptly contracted at the base, 
deeply 3-lobed...............0.02.2200 000002022. 3. S. pulchella. 
Terminal leaflet gradually cuneate at the base, shallowly 
lobed. 
Teeth of the leaves rounded; blades densely pu- 
bescent; all the leaflets toothed. ......... . 4. 8. leiocarpa. 
Teeth of the leaves acutish; blades mostly glabrous 
on the upper surface; some of the leaflets 
entire........... 2.2 ee eee eee eee eee eee eee. 5. S, cognata, 
