210 PRACTICAL FORESTRY. 



the South sometimes a tree forty feet high. Wood very hard, 

 but usually too crooked to be of much value except for fuel or 

 makiug handles for small tools. More or less abundant along 

 the banks of streams, from Canada to Florida, but keeping in 

 high woods in the South. 



The R. Cataicbiense, Michx., has lilac-pui-ple flowers, and is 

 the parent of many of our most valuable cultivated varieties. 

 Hybrids between this and several foreign species have been 

 raised in great numbers. The California Rhododendron (R. 

 Calif ornicum, Hooker), is a low shrub, four to eight feet high, 

 with leaves foiu- to six inches long, and handsome rose-colored 

 flowers, two inches in diameter. It is a very handsome and 

 showy shrub, worthy of extended cultivation. The Lapland 

 Rose Bay (-B. Lapponicum, Wahl), is a low dwarf or prostrate 

 shrub, with leaves about a half inch long, and very small vio- 

 let-purple flowers. Found in the mountains of Northern New 

 York, and the New England States, also in Europe. The native 

 species of Azalea are all shrubs, of only moderate size, and for 

 this reason are omitted. 



RHUS, Linn. — Sumach. 



A large and widely distributed genus of more than a hundred 

 and twenty species, some fourteen of which inhabit the United 

 States. Leaves simple or pinnate. Flowers small, either perfect, 

 or the two sexes separate on the same plant, or on separate 

 plants ; usually gi-eenish-white or yellowish, in axillary or ter- 

 minal panicles or racemes. Fruit, a smaU, dry drupe, in 

 branching open panicles or close, compact clusters or heads. 

 The leaves of some of the species extensively emploj'ed in tan- 

 ning certain kinds of leather. The resinous juice of one or more 

 species in .Japan, yields the well-known lacquer varnish of that 

 country, while from the fruit, a pecuUar and valuable vegeta- 

 ble wax is extracted. There are several species that are very 

 poisonous to some persons, but not to others. Only two or 

 three of our native species grow large enough to be classed as 

 trees, but as each has some peculiar habit or properties that 

 should be well known to the j^ractical forester, I wUl refer 

 briefly to all, and first to those known to be poisonous. 



Rhus diTcrsiloba. Torr. and Gray. — Poison Oak. Yeara. — Leaves 

 composed of three ovate, obovate, or elliptical leaflets, one to 

 three inches long, obtuse or acute, three-lobed or coarsely 

 toothed. Flowers whitish, in loose axillary panicles. Fruit 



