4 BULLETIN 706, IT. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
of 30 feet and trunk diameter of 10 inches. The leaflets are dark 
green, smooth on top, paler and often hairy underneath, with edges 
smooth or few-toothed toward the apex. The fruit grows in dense 
terminal clusters, is crimson in color, and is covered with fine hairs. 
The unmistakable characteristics of this species are the winged 
growth along the leaf stem between the leaflets (PL II, A) and the 
black specks on the new stalk. Dwarf sumac grows in dry soil, and 
may be found from Maine and southern Ontario to Florida and 
Texas, and west to Minnesota and Nebraska. 
White sumac, sometimes called smooth, upland, or scarlet 
sumac {Rhus glabra). — A shrub, or rarely a small tree, 2 to 20 feet 
high. The leaflets are dark green on top and whitish underneath, 
with edges sharply saw-toothed. The fruit grows in dense terminal 
clusters, and is covered with short reddish hairs. The distinguishing 
characteristics of this species are the smoothness of the stalks and 
leaf stems, together with a bluish white bloom, a powdery film similar 
in appearance to that found on plums, which covers the stalks and the 
under side of the leaflets (PL III). White sumac grows in dry soil 
from Nova Scotia to British Columbia, and south to Florida, Missis- 
sippi, and Arizona. 
Staghorn sumac, sometimes called hairy sumac {Rhus hirta). — 
A shrub, or small tree, with maximum height of 40 feet and 
trunk diameter of 9 inches. Leaflets, dark green and nearly smooth 
on top, pale, and more or less hairy underneath, with edges sharply 
saw-toothed. The fruit, which grows in dense terminal clusters, is 
thickly covered with bright-crimson hairs. The distinguishing 
characteristic of this species is the hairy growth along the stalks and 
leaf stems (PL IV) . Staghorn sumac is found in dry and rocky soils 
from Nova Scotia to Georgia, especially among the mountains, and 
as far west as southern Ontario, Minnesota, Missouri, and Mississippi. 
Since poison sumac sometimes is mistaken for the more common 
species, and its poisonous effects are usually very severe, it seems 
desirable to describe it as an aid in distinguishing poison sumac 
from the other species. 
Poison sumac, sometimes called poison elder {Rhus veraix). — 
A shrub, or small tree, with maximum height of 28 feet and trunk 
diameter of 6 inches. The leaflets are green on top and underneath, 
with edges smooth. The fruit, which grows in loose, open clusters, 
consists of smooth white or light gray berries. It should be noted 
that poison sumac differs decidedly from the important species in 
the color and cluster formation of its fruit. Furthermore, it may 
be easily distinguished from the dwarf sumac by the absence of the 
winged growth along the leaf stems, and from the white and stag- 
horn sumac by its smooth-edged leaflets (PL V). Poison sumac 
almost invariably is found in swamps. It grows from southern 
