Sumac

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Sumac
Rhus glabra and typhina
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Scientific classification
Kingdom Plant
Division Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Order Sapindales
Family Anacardiaceae
Genus Rhus
Species glabra and typhina


Contents

[edit] Introduction

An often misunderstood genus of plants due to several poisonous species, this group of deciduous, woody plants can benefit us greatly when properly identified.

This article will focus on two of the friendly (i.e., non-poisonous) species of the Rhus genus: staghorn and smooth sumac (R. typhina and R. glabra, respectively). While you may find several differences between these two species, for practical purposes you may use them almost interchangeably.

[edit] Description

[edit] Identification

You will likely find sumacs to be among the easiest shrubs to identify throughout the year. They generally grow as short trees between 9 and 15 feet tall (though some can be as high as 60 feet.[1])

Leaves
Sumacs have fern-like pinnately compound leaves of 9 to 31 leaflets ending with a terminal leaflet.[1] The leaflets have toothed margins and are pinnately veined.
Fruit
The fruit of the sumac is one of the most identifiable characteristics, forming dense clusters of small red drupes at the terminal end of the branches. These clusters, called "sumac bobs", are conic, 10-20 cm long and 4-6 cm broad at the base. The fruit appear during summer, after which the foliage turns a brilliant red. The fruit regularly lasts through winter and into spring.
Growth
Sumac propagates both by seeds, which are spread by birds and other animals through their droppings, and by new sprouts from rhizomes, forming large clonal colonies with the oldest plants in the center, and the younger plants radiating out. The colonial nature makes sumac rather aggressive and invasive, and many civilized attitudes regard this as a "weed" tree. Ironically, many civilized attitudes also prize the beauty of the sumac for its fruit and for its brilliant, red fall foliage, which have prompted the development of cultivars for use as ornamental trees.

[edit] Poisonous Related Species

Note: Although formerly categorized in the Rhus genus, taxonomists have begun classifying all three of the poisonous species in a new genus: Toxicodendron. Do not expect this taxonomic change to be reflected in the public consciousness however. The fear of all things sumac will likely carry on.

[edit] Poison Sumac

For main article, see Poison Sumac

Unfortunately, the poisonous members of the Rhus genus get far more press than the delicious ones. As a result people shy away from any plant called sumac, since they have probably only heard of the poisonous variety. Oaks and ivies do not get the same treatment as the non-poisonous plants that bear those names receive far more notoriety in modern culture than do staghorn and smooth sumac.

Granted, in terms of its potential to cause urushiol-induced contact dermatitis, poison sumac is far more virulent than its relatives poison ivy and poison oak. According to some botanists, poison sumac is the most toxic plant species in the United States.

The differences between the poisonous R. vernix (Poison Sumac) and R. typhina and R. glabra are quite easy to recognize. Most notably, poison sumac has white berries that tend to droop, while staghorn and smooth sumac have red berries that grow upright.[See Sumac/Songlines.]

Poison sumac reportedly prefers very wet or flooded soils, usually in swamps and peat bogs (though it can be found in a variety of conditions.) Staghorn and smooth sumac tend to prefer dry soils and hillsides.

If you see a tree that you think might be a sumac, wait until the fruits ripen to see whether it is poisonous or not.

[edit] Poison Oak and Poison Ivy

For main articles, see Poison Oak and Poison Ivy

These species bear even less resemblance to the plants with a common name sumac. While they also have compound leaves, the leaflets rarely number more than three: hence the adage, "Leaves of three, leave it be."

Poison Ivy has a very hairy trunk as it climbs up other trees and walls. This feature makes identification easy even when the leaves are not in season.

[edit] Origin, Distribution, Habitat, and Life Cycle

Origin
Native to eastern North America
Distribution
R. typhina - From Ontario and Quebec south to northern Georgia and Mississippi
R. glabra - From southern Quebec west to southern British Columbia in Canada, and south to northern Florida and Arizona in the United States and Tamaulipas in northeastern Mexico
Habitat
It can grow under a wide array of conditions, but is most often found in dry and poor soil on which other plants cannot survive. Look for sumac on sunny, exposed hillsides and roadsides and at the edges of forests.
Life Cycle
Perennial
Phenology
Leaf buds appearing -
Flowering -
Fruit ripening -
Leaves turning -
Leaves falling -

[edit] Common Names

  • Alternate Spellings
    • Sumach
  • Alternate Common Names
    • Shoemake [1]
    • Indian Lemonade [1]
    • Lemonade Tree [1]

[edit] Related Species

Eastern North America
  • R. aromatica (Fragrant Sumac)
  • R. copallina (Winged Sumac or Shining Sumac)
  • R. glabra (Smooth Sumac)
  • R. lanceolata (Prairie Sumac)
  • R. michauxii (Michaux's Sumac)
  • R. typhina (Staghorn Sumac)
  • R. toxicodendron (Poison Ivy aka R. radicans and Toxicodendron radicans)
  • R. vernix (Poison Sumac aka Toxicodendron vernix)
Western North America
  • R. choriophylla (Mearns Sumac), Arizona, New Mexico
  • R. laurina (Laurel Sumac)
  • R. integrifolia (Lemonade Sumac)
  • R. microphylla (Desert Sumac, Littleleaf sumac)
  • R. ovata (Sugar Sumac)
  • R. trilobata (Skunkbush Sumac)
  • R. virens (Evergreen Sumac)

[edit] Uses

[edit] Edible Uses

Berries
  • The berries (actually drupes) can be steeped to make an infusion (tea) known as sumac-ade or Rhus juice.[ see recipe ]
  • An infusion of the berries can also be used to make a jelly.[1]

[edit] Medicinal Uses

Medical Properties
astringent, antiseptic, tonic
Berries
Due to their high vitamin C content, an infusion of the berries is useful for colds, fever and scurvy.[2]
Leaves
An infusion of the leaves is reported stronger than a berry infusion agains taming fevers.[2]
Bark
A decoction of the inner bark and/or root bark is regarded as more poweful than the infusions of either the berries or the leaves.[2]

[edit] Practical Uses

  • Native Americans used the leaves and berries of the smooth and staghorn sumacs combined with tobacco in traditional smoking mixtures.
  • The leaves of certain sumacs yield tannin (mostly pyrogallol), a substance used in vegetable tanning. Leather tanned with sumac is flexible, light in weight, and light in color, even bordering on being white.
  • Bobs (fruit panicles)

[edit] Lore

  • Rous is the Greek word for sumac, hence the generic name.
  • The specific name typhina indicates a fuzziness similar to cattail (genus Typha).
  • The specific name glabra simply means smooth.

[edit] Gallery

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina)
Rhus typhina fruit
Rhus glabra fruit

[edit] Disclaimer

Rewild.info, its parent company Mythmedia, and Rewild.info contributors are not responsible or liable for any of the information used on this website. Practice at your own risk!

[edit] Sources

Attribution

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Tatum, Billy Joe, Billy Joe Tatum's Wild Foods Field Guide and Cookbook
  2. ^ a b c Brill, Steve, Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not So Wild) Places
  3. ^ http://www.draperbee.com/info/Smoker.pdf
  4. ^ http://www.timberpress.com/books/excerpt.cfm/9780881926682
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