PENTANDRIA TRIGYNIA 207 



nal«, obscurely and sparingly crenate-serrate, often very entire, smooth and shi- 

 niug Above, pilose beneath, the midrib pubescent on both sides, all sessile except 

 the terminal one ; common petiole 3 to 6 or 8 inches long, downy-pubescent, with a 

 tcinved margin which.is contracted at the base of the leaflets, giving the petiole the 

 appearance of being articulated, not winged below the lowest pair of leaflets. Flow- 

 ers yellowish green, in thyrsoid panicles, smaller than in the preceding species, 

 terminating the young branches, dioicous by abortion. Sterile Jlotccrs in rather 

 spreading or open panicles. Calyx-segments ovate. Style short; stigma often 

 simple ; ovary abortive, in a small peltate disk. Fertile j! outers mostly perfect 1 

 SUtmens short. Stigjnas subsessile, clavate. Ovary clothed with a grey pubes- 

 cence which, on tha fruity becomes dark purple, and strongly acid ; peduncles 

 hirsute. 



ITah. Dry sterile hills; Mica-slate range: frequent. PL July* Fr. October. 



Obe. This species is quite abundant on the Mica-slate hills ; but it seems to be 

 pretty much confined to that description of soil. There is a variety, on the moun- 

 tains, with coarsely dentate leaves ; and even here, in some instances, the leaves 

 havj a few coarse sirratures. 



4. ft, vexesata, DC. Young branches and petioles smooth ; leaflets 



in i to 6 pairs, oblong-oval, or lance-obovate, abruptly acuminate, very 



entire ; common petiole not winged ; panicles loose, slender, subtermi- 



nal, on long peduncles. Becky Bot. p. 76. 



K- toxicodendron vernix. Marsh. Avbust. p. 130. 



K. vernix. L. and the other Authors quoted in this -work. 



Poisonous Rhus. Vulgo— Poison Sumach. Swamp Sumach. 



Sttf n s to 12 or 15 feet high, branching above; young branches terete, smooth, 

 •lightly verrucose, or dotted. Leaves pinnate ; leaflets in 3 to 5 or pairs with a 

 terminal odd one, 2 to 3 or 3 and a half inches l ong, and 3 fourths of an inch to an 

 inch and half wide, very entire and sitgnuy rcwiutc on the marpo^TmootFaTjove, 

 some what pilose and rcticulatcly veined beneath, all except the terminal one sub- 

 sessile, or tapering at base to a very short petiole ; common petiole 4 to 10 or 12 in- 

 ches long, terete, smooth, often becoming purple. Flowers greenish, dioicous by 

 abort ion. Panicles slender, racemose, on long peduncles in the axils of the leaves, 

 near the ends of the young branches ; pedicels pubescent, bracteate. Drupe sub- 

 flotage, nearly twice as large as in any of the preceding, dry, smooth, shining, 

 pale yellowish green ; nut suborbicular, compressed, ridged and grooved on the 

 sides ; pedicels of the fruit subclavate. 



Hub. Low grounds / margins of rivulets : not common. Fl Juno. Fr. Sept. 



Ob). This shrub is not very common, here ; but occurs near West-town School, 

 and in several localities in the Mica-slate range, along rivulets. It is very poison- 

 ous V} some persons,— though I have never felt the slightest effect from any of the 

 genu*. U seems to be now determined that our plant is distinct from the origlual 

 H. veniix (R.vernictfera, DC), or Varnish-tree, of Japan. 



f j* Leaves ternate* 



5* n. radicals, /,. Stem climbing by radicating processes ; leaflets 



obliquely ovate, acuminate, entire, or angular-dentate ; panicles race- 



moso, axillary, subsessile. Beck, Bot. p. 75. 



K* toxicodendron radicans. Marsh. Arbust. p. 131. 



R. toxicodendron, var. vulgar*. Mx. Am. Up. 183. Pur shy Am. I. 



p. 205. 





