G. 27] 



CLASSIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION 



91 



panicles hanging on late in winter; the 

 stone striate. This is a very poisonous 

 species (to the touch), 6 to 18 ft. high, 

 growing in swamps. Rarely at all tree- 

 like. 



5. Bhtis Osb6ckii, DC. (CHINESE SU- 

 MAC.) Leaves very large, pinnate, assum- 

 ing in autumn a rich reddish-fawn or 

 orange color ; the leafstalk broadly winged 

 between the leaflets ; leaflets serrate. A 

 small ornamental tree, 10 to 25 ft. high ; 

 cultivated ; from China ; quite hardy in 

 the Northern States. 



R. C6tinus. 



6. Bhus C6tinus, L. (SMOKE-TREE. 

 VENETIAN SUMAC.) Leaves smooth, obo- 

 vate, entire, on slender petioles. Flowers 

 greenish, minute, 

 in terminal or 

 axillary pani- 

 cles. Fruit sel- 

 dom found. Usu- 

 ally most of the 

 flowers are abor- 

 tive, while their 

 pedicels lengthen, 



branch, and form long feather-like hairs, 

 making large cloud-like branches that 

 look somewhat like smoke (whence the 



name). A shrub or small tree, 6 to 10 



ft. high, often planted for ornament ; 



from Europe. 



7. Rhus cotinoldes, Nutt. (AMERI- 

 CAN SMOKE-TREE.) Leaves thin, oval, 

 obtuse, entire, acute at base, 3 to 6 in. 

 long, smooth or nearly so. Flowers and 

 fruit like those of the cultivated species 

 (Rhus Cotitms). A tree 20 to 40 ft. high ; 

 stem sometimes a foot or more in diame- 

 ter in the Southern States ; wild in Ten- 

 nessee, west and south. Rare in culti- 

 vation. R. cotinoides. 



K. Osteckii. 



