324 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



Rhus rhodanthema, F. v. Mueller. 



East-Australia, on river-banks. A tree finally to 70 feet high; 

 stem often 2 feet in diameter. Wood dark-yellow, soft, fine-grained, 

 beautifully marked, much esteemed for cabinet-work. Worth 5 to 

 6 per 1,000 feet in Brisbane (W. Hill). 



Rhus semialata, Murray. 



China and Japan, extending to the Himalayas. Attains a height 

 of 40 feet. This species produces a kind of nutgalls. It is apt to 

 spread beyond ready control in rich soil. The stem will finally reach 

 the thickness of a foot or more; the wood is tough and durable but 

 stringy, prettily marked with dark edging. 



Rhus succedanea, Linne. 



The Japan Wax-tree, extending to China and the Himalayas, 

 there up to 8,000 feet. The produce of this tree has found its way 

 into the English market. The crushed berries are steamed and 

 pressed, furnishing about 15 per cent, of wax, which consists mainly 

 of palmatin and palmitic acid. Rhus silvestris (Siebold & Zuccarini) 

 and R. vernicifera yield there a similar wax. 



Rhus typhina, Linne\ 



The Staghorn-Sumach. Eastern North-America, extending to 

 Canada. Hardy in Norway to lat. 61 17'. This species will become 

 a tree of about 30 feet height. Its wood is of orange tinge. Through 

 incisions into the bark a kind of copal is obtained. The leaves may 

 be used like ordinary sumach. This bush can be reared on inferior 

 land. The leaves of American sumachs must be collected early in 

 the season, if a clear white leather like that from Sicilian sumach is 

 to be obtained. This can be ascertained by the color of the precipi- 

 tate effected with gelatine. Some of the American and also other 

 sumachs are important to apiarists. 



Rhus vernicifera, De Candolle. 



Extends from Nepal to Japan. It forms a tree of fair size and 

 yields the Japan- varnish. In India it ascends to 7,000 feet; but 

 Stewart and Brandis are doubtful, whether the Japan species (R. 

 Vernix, L.) is really identical with the Indian. The fruit yields 

 vegetable wax. R. Wallichii (J. Hooker) of the Himalayas is a 

 cognate species. 



Ribes aureum, Pursh. 



From Arkansas, Missouri, Oregon to Canada. Endures the cold 

 of Norway to lat. 70 (Schuebeler). This favorite bush of garden- 

 shrubberies would probably along forest- streams produce its pleasant 

 berries, which turn from yellow to brown or black. Professor Meehan 

 mentions a variety or allied species from Utah, with berries larger 

 than those of the black currant; they are quite a good table-fruit, and 

 of all shades from orange to black, and this variety remains constant 

 from seeds. Allied to this is R. tenuiflorum (Lindley) of California 



