ANACARDIArE^v. 93 



used for school furniture, Ijedsteads, table-legs, and chairs. It also furuishes 

 to the cal)iuet-maker the beautiful curled, or biril's-eye maple, aud is excellent 

 for fuel. 



Oki>er XX. ANACARDIACE^. 



Flowers perfect, dicjecions, or iiioiifecious, regular; small, spiked, or 

 [lanicled. Sepals o-5, united at the base. Petals 3-.j, sometimes 

 absent, imbricated. Stan)ens alternate with the petals, and same 

 number, [)erigynous. Ovary 1-celled, free. Stigmas '4. Fruit a berry 

 or drupe, 1-seeded. Trees and shrubs. Number oi" genera, about 40. 



BHTJS, L. (Sumach.) Sepals connected below, small and persist- 

 ent, 5 in number ; petals free, ovate, spreading from the margin of 

 a rounded disk ; stamens 5-10 or wanting, inserted on the disk ; styles 

 3, sometimes united ; stigmas subcapitate. Fruit, a small dry nut, 

 hard and globose, 1-celled. Shrubs with alternate, compound, or 

 simple leaves. 



1. R. glabra, L. (Common Sumach, Smooth Sumach.) Stem 3 to 12 feet 

 high, much-branched, forming a flattish top ; l)ranch and leaf-stalks smooth. 

 Leaves of 8-15 ])airs of sessile leaflets, and a terminal one which is petioled ; 

 upper side dark green, under side lighter. Flowers yellowish-green. fre(|uently 

 abortive, in densely crowded panicles. Fruit a little drupe, covered with a 

 crimson down which is charged with malic acid, sour but agreeable to the taste. 

 Flowers appear in June and July, fruit in autumn. The color of the leaves in 

 autujnn is a rich crimson. 



•2. R. typhina, L. (Stag-horn Sumach.) Stem reaches the height of 20 feet ; 

 It-ariets serrate; otherwise as in R. glabra 



.3. R. copallina, L. (Mountain Sumach.) Stem from .^) to 12 feet in height, 

 much-t>ranched ; leaflets 4-10 pairs, with a terminal one unequal at the base; 

 the common petiole margined with a wing between each pair of leaflets ; other- 

 wise like R. glabra. 



4. R. venenata, DC. (I'oison Sumach.) Trunk 10 to 1.") feet high, tree-like. 

 3 to .5 inches in diameter, branching so as to make a spreading top. Leaves of 

 3 to 6 pairs of leaflets, with a terminal one, dee]) green, shining above Flowers 

 in panicles, small and green. Fruit a drupe, the size of a pea ; juice poisonous, 

 producing an eruption of the skin, accompanied by swelling. 



.5 R. Toxicodendron, L. (Poison Tvy. Poi.^on Oak.) Stem trailing or climb- 

 ing, vine-like, 10 to 50 feet long, fastening it.self to the trunk of trees by rootlets. 

 Leaves green, shining, in threes, terminal leaflet j)ointed. Flowers racemed 

 in axillary panicles, greenish. Fruit a dull-white berry ; juice poisonous, and 

 forms an indelible ink. When growing without supjiort. it assumes the form 

 of a little tree. 



G. R. Cotinus, L. (Venetian Sumach. Smoke Tree.) Stem 6 to 8 feet high, 

 irregularly and stragglingly branchecl. Leaves alternate, simjde, obovate, en- 

 tire, consjiicuously veined, veins nearly at right angh^s to the midrib, stiff and 

 translucent, on long ])etioles. Flowers very small, i)urplish, in loose panicles, 

 pedicles of abortive flowers lengthen and become hairy after blooming; groups 

 of these feathery ])edicles give the plant at a distance the appearance of a 

 fleecv cloud. Fruit white. 



