CASHEW FAMILY. 



79 



branches stout and thick, with a large pith, somewhat angular or compressed. Leaves 

 composed of 8-12 or 15 pairs of leaflets (2-3 or 4 inches in length); common petiole 9-18 

 inches long, often dark purple. Flowers yellowish-green ; tfie fertile panicles smaller 

 and more compact than the sterile ones. Ovaries clothed with a short greyish silky pft- 

 bescence, which on ihe fruit becomes bright purple, and contains a sprightly acid. 



Old fields, fence-rows, and thickets : Canada to Louisiana. Fl. June. Fr. September 

 -October. 



Obs. This shrub is apt to be abundant in neglected sterile old fields ; 

 and its prevalence, in arable lands, is strong evidence of the occupant 

 being a poor thriftless farmer. 



A/I- 



4. R. venena'ta, DC. Branches and petioles smooth ; leaflets in 

 few pairs, very entire ; common petioles not winged ; fruit glabrous. 



POISONOUS EHUS. Poison Sumach. Poison Elder. Swamp Dogwood. 



Juice resinous. Stem 8-12 or 15 feet high, branching above, young branches rather 

 slender, terete, smoothish, slightly verrucose or dotted. Leaves composed of 3-5 or 6 

 pairs of leaflets (2-3 or 4 inches long); common petioles 4-10 or 12 inches long. Flowers 

 greenish. Panicles slender, racemose, on long axillary peduncles. Drupes dry, smooth 

 and shining, nearly twice as large as in either of the preceding. 



Low grounds along swampy rivulets : Canada to Georgia. Fl. June. Fr. September. 



FIG. 50. Poison Siiinach (Rhus venenata), a portion of a flowering branch, reduced. . 



