ANACARDIACEAE 237 



on Monte Sano.* I have found it locally abundant on rocky slopes 

 of the mountains east of New Market, Huntsville. and Taylors- 

 ville, all in ^ladison County, and in jNIorgan County east of Cotaco 

 Creek. 



Prof. Sargent said of it in his Tenth Census report on forests 

 (vol. 9, p. 52. 1884) "In Alabama nearly exterminated"; but 

 amended that in the last volume of his Silva (14 :!»!). V-HVi ) by 

 saying that it was still common near Huntsville. There ought to 

 be a good deal of it yet in the comparatively unexplored mountains 

 of Jackson County, as well as in Madison and Morgan. 



RHUS, Linnaeus. Thi- Sumac(h)s. 

 Strong-scented shrubs or small trees, with pinnate leaves, and 

 fuzzy red berries in dense terminal clusters. (The poison sumacs, 

 with whitish berries in loose clusters, and the sweet sumacs, with 

 early flowers and trifoliate leaves, formerly put in Rhus, are now 

 treated as separate genera.) 



Rhus copallina, L. (Black) Sumac. 



Usually a shrul), but sometimes a small tree G inches in diam- 

 eter and 25 feet tall, or even larger. Blooms in midsummer. Clus- 

 ters of fruit brick red, drooping in winter. 



Sometimes cultivated for ornament, or at least offered for 

 sale by nurserymen. The leaves are astringent, and have been 

 used in the mountains for tanning and dyeing. Its medicinal prop- 

 erties are probably very similar to those of the next species. 



Grows in dry open woods, and often spreads to old fields, 

 clearings and roadsides. It seems to be able to stand a moderate 

 amount of fire, for it often grows in long-leaf pine forests, though 

 it does not attain a large size there. Common nearly throughout 

 the state, but avoids the richest and poorest soils. Noted in every 

 region except 8 and 14, and there is no known reason why it should 



*Dr. A. Gattinger in his Flora of Tennessee (1901) says that Dr. Mohr 

 found it in Limestone County, but that must be a mistake. Several works 

 on trees give as one kicality for it the "Cheat Mountains" of Tennessee ; but 

 I have never been able to k)cate any such mountains on any map, or to dis- 

 cover who was responsible for that report. There seems to be no other 

 record of its occurrence in Tennessee, but as it grows within a few miles of 

 that state, it would not be at all surprising to find it north of the state line. 

 Outside of Alabama it is known from a few places in Missouri, Arkansas, 

 Oklahoma and Texas. 



