230 SUMAC FAMILY 



Var. laciniata (Wood) R e h d e r Cut-leaf Sumac 



With leaflets and bracts more or less deeply laciniately cut or toothed, 

 frequently planted as an ornamental shrub. 



Rhus glabra Linne 1753 Scarlet Sumac Upland Sumac 



A shrub or very rarely a small tree, 0.5-6 m. high, bark smooth and 

 grayish, twigs glabrous and somewhat glaucous, petioles often purplish, 

 glabrous; leaflets 11-31, oblong-lanceolate, rounded and slightly oblique 

 at the base, acuminate at the apex, sharply serrate, dark green and often 

 shining above, paler beneath, glabrous throughout, 4-10 cm. long, 1.5-3 

 cm. wide; panicles many-flowered, about 8-10 cm. long, puberulent when 

 young, flowers small, greenish, about 5 mm. broad; drupe globose, 3-4 

 mm. in diameter, covered with short, reddish acid hairs: glabra, 

 smooth. 



In dry soil, common throughout the state except north of Lake Su- 

 perior where it is rare. Distributed from central Me. to British Columbia, 

 south to Fla., Miss, and Ariz. The leaves are sometimes used for tanning. 

 This species, like the preceding, often has the whole or a part of the 

 inflorescence changed into clusters of small leaves. 



Var. laciniata (Carriere) Robinson 



With leaves that are laciniately bipinnatifid to bipinnate, planted as an 

 ornamental shrub. 



Rhus Vernix Linne 1753 Poison Sumac Poison Oak 



A shrub or small tree sometimes reaching a height of 8 m., more com- 

 monly 2-4 m. high, bark gray, twigs greenish; leaves petioled, pinnate. 

 15-36 cm. long, leaflets 7-13, obovate or oval, or the lowermost ovate, 

 narrowed or rounded at the base, acute or acuminate at the apex, entire, 

 green on both sides, glabrous or slightly puberulent, 4-14 cm. long, 1.5-6 

 cm. wide; panicles axillary, numerous, long-peduncled, 10-17 cm. long, 

 flowers green, very small, about 2 mm. broad; fruit yellowish-green, 

 smooth and shining, about 4 mm. in diameter: vernix, varnish. 



Infrequent in swamps, reported from Houston and Winona counties, 

 occurs in Hennepin and Anoka counties and along the upper Mississippi. 

 Distributed from western Me. to western Ontario and Minn., south to 

 Fla., Miss, and La. 



