116 Native Trees of Canada 



THE SUMACHS 



Nearly all of the seven or eight species of sumach {Rhus) found in Canada are 

 shrubs. Only four of the twenty or so species found on this continent reach tree 

 size, but none of them is sufficiently large to be of importance. Some of the Asiatic 

 species, however, are of importance because of the gum, wax, etc., they produce. 

 The valuable lac used in lacquer ware is obtained from these trees. All of the 

 species have a more or less sticky juice. 



RHUS TYPHINA, Linn. STAGHORN SUMACH 



Common names: Staghorn sumach, sumach. 

 French names: Sumac amaranthe, vinaigrier, sumac de Virginia. 



The staghorn sumach is common on thin, rocky, or gravelly soils from Nova 

 Scotia to Georgian bay and lake Huron in Ontario. 



It is a small tree or shrub, often forming thickets. Ordinarily it is 10 to 15 ft. 

 high but occasionally a little taller. The trunk is more or less crooked and inclined. 

 The branches are also very irregular in growth and divide into a comparatively 

 small number of stout, curved twigs which suggest the horns of a stag, hence the 

 common name. When in leaf the tree has rather a fiat, spreading top. 



The bark is brown, thin, and smooth except on large trees, when it is sometimes 

 scaly. The twigs are coated with fine, thick, soft, brown hair. When growing 

 near roadsides, or railroads, or wherever there is much dust or soot in the air, these 

 hairy twigs become heavily coated with it and if grasped will soil the hand. When 

 cut they exude a milky juice. 



The leaves are com]>osed of eleven to thirty-one small leaflets attached to a 

 common stem. The leaflets are narrow and pointed like those of the willow. 

 Their margins are coarsely toothed, dark green above, and pale beneath. This 

 graceful, drooping, fern-like foliage, which becomes a beautiful scarlet in the au- 

 tumn, has caused the tree to be much used for ornamental planting. 



The fruit is a curious pyramidal cluster of short, red hairs, with a distinctly 

 acid taste, which coats tiny, bony covered seeds. These conspicuous red clusters 

 persist throughout the winter on the tips of the stout twigs, and add to the pictur- 

 esqueness of the tree. 



This tree is sometimes sawn into lumber and used for decorative finishing work* 

 Its wood is orange-coloured, and is streaked with broad, green rays. 



THE MAPLES 



Seventy species of maple {Acer) occur throughout the world. They are most 

 abundant in eastern Asia, thirty-five species being found in China and Japan. 

 Nine are found in Canada, of which three are confined to British Columbia. Many 

 exotic species have been introduced for ornamental planting, the most common of 

 which are the sycamore maple (^Acer pseudoplatanus) , and the Norway maple 



