10 



BULLETIN 26, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Habitat and range. — Smooth sumac occurs iu dry soil, thickets, and waste 

 grounds nearly throughout the United States and Canada. 



Description. — Although sometimes attaining the height of a small tree, the 

 smooth sumac is more frequently found as a rather handsome shrub 2 to 12 

 Ceet high, with smooth, brownish gray trunk and branches. It belongs to the 

 sumac family (Anacardiacea?) and is an indigenous perennial. Its leaves are 

 very long, from 1 to 3 feet, and consist of from 11 to 31 leaflets, each leaflet 

 being about 2 to 4 inches in length and about half as wide. The leaflets are thin 



in texture, lance shaped, 

 with a long-pointed apex 

 and rounded base, and 

 sharply toothed margins ; 

 they are smooth, dark 

 green on the upper sur- 

 face, and whitish under- 

 neath. Smooth sumac is 

 in flower from June to 

 August, the greenish yel- 

 low flowers being borne 

 in large, dense pyramidal 

 clusters at the ends of 

 the branches. 



The fruit is flattened 

 roundish, and covered 

 with short, crimson hairs, 

 which are very sour. Each 

 fruit or berry contains a 

 smooth, 1 - seeded stone. 

 (Fig. 7.) 



Collection, uses, and 

 prices. — The dried fruit of 

 the smooth sumac is offi- 

 cial in the United States 

 Pharmacopoeia and should 

 be gathered while the 

 downy covering is still on 

 the berries, which gives 

 to them their acid taste. 

 They have no odor, but 

 are very acid and astrin- 

 gent. Their principal use seems to be as a gargle in inflamed throat. The bark 

 is also used in medicine. The berries bring about 5 cents a pound. 



Fig. 7. 



-Smooth sumac (Rhus glabra), leaves and cluster 

 of fruits. 



AMERICAN LINDEN. 

 Tilia americana L. 



Synonyms. — Tilia glabra Vent.; Tilia canadensis Michx. 



Other common names. — Basswood, whitewood, bast tree, black lime tree, 

 American lin tree, American lime tree, bee tree, daddynut tree, monkeynut tree, 

 whistlewood, white lind, red basswood, yellow basswood, wickup. 



