121 
CORAL SUMACH. 
RHUS metopium, foliis pinnatis 2-S-jugis cum impari glaberrimis , 
foliolis petiolulatis ovatis integerrimis. 
Rhus metopium. Linn. Amcen. Acad. vol. 5, p. 395. Decand. 
Prod. vol. 2, p. 67. 
Metopium foliis subrotundis pinnato-quinatis , racemis alaribus. Brown, 
Jamaic. p. 177, tab. 13, fig. 3. 
Terebinthus maxima , pinnis paucioribus majoribus atque rotundioribus , 
fructu racemoso spar so. Sloane, Jam. 167. Hist. vol. 2, p. 90, t. 199. 
Fig. 3. Raii, Dendrol. p. 51. 
Borbonia fructu cor allino, fore pentapetalo. Plumier, ic. 61. 
This stately species of Sumach becomes a tree of 15 to 
20 or more feet in height, and in Jamaica affects the cal- 
careous hills. It is also a native of Cuba and Key West, 
(Dr. Blodgelt). The wood is hard, and when large enough, 
suitable for furniture. 
Like several other native species of the genus, it is to 
some individuals poisonous to the touch. This, and the 
Mountain Sumach, are called in St. Domingo, “ Mountain 
Manchiniel,” from the poisonous qualities of the juice they 
exude. The branches are erect and smooth. The leaves 
come out at the ends of the branches, and are unequally 
pinnate, usually 2 pair and an odd one, but sometimes 3 
pair and a terminal leaflet. The leaves are very smooth 
and coriaceous, quite entire, upon long petioles; the leaflets 
are usually broad-ovate and acuminate, on longish partial 
petioles, the upper pair unequal at the base; sometimes 
they are of an elliptic form, and occasionally obtuse and 
rounded at the extremity. The flowers are dioicous ; in 
terminal, loose, open, spreading panicles which are about 
the length of the leaves ; the bracts are very small. The 
16 
