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Home , Anacardiaceae, Cotinus, Rhus copallinum, Rhus glabra, Rhus typhina, Toxicodendron

– () FAMILY

Plant: (usually woody), , or small Stem: woody, particularly with age, often with milky or resinous juice ( ducts in bark) Root: : simple or most often pinnately compound (or 3’s, trifoliate), mostly alternate; stipules none or very small : regular (actinomorphic), perfect or most often imperfect (dioecious); petals 0 or 3 but usually 5, small; 3 or usually 5 and often fused at base; 5 or 10 in 2 series alternate with petals or reduced or absent; superior, carpels and styles usually 3 : or berry-like (), usually oily Other: mostly tropical; Sumac and is very common locally, many are toxic; family also includes , cashew and ; Dicotyledons Group Genera: 80+ genera; locally (smoke ), Rhus (sumac) and (poision- sumac, , and ivy's)

WARNING – family descriptions are only a layman’s guide and should not be used as definitive Morphology in the Anacardiaceae (Cashew family)

Examples of common genera

European Smoketree Scop. (Introduced) [Common] Poison Ivy (L.) Kuntze

Smooth Sumac L. ID OF THE 4 [Shining] Winged Sumac -

Fragrant Sumac -

Pinnate leaves (13 or fewer leaflets usually), mostly entire or with fine teeth, both petiole Ternate (trifoliate or 3-part) compound , and rachis winged. note that the middle or terminal leaflet narrows to the rachis and is not “stalked” as is poison ivy; leaf shape differences above helps to define 2 varieties. Smooth Sumac - Rhus glabra Staghorn Sumac -

Leaves pinnate (11-21 leaflets), with teeth, mostly sessile; stem with raised dots (resin canals), Leaves pinnate (7-(10-25)) leaflets, toothed; my be glaucous; twigs mostly fruit, twigs and leaf axis with dense, long hairs. glabrous. ID OF THE POISON 3 Poison Sumac Poison Ivy Poison Oak Toxicodendron radicans

Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern , and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, . Vol. 2: 484

Leaves pinnate, 7-13+ leaflets, Trifoliate (3 leaflets) - the entire, rachis and not terminal (middle) leaflet has a winged; fruit white, in panicles; Trifoliate (3 leaflets) - the terminal definite stalk, 3-6(7) rounded leaves scarlet red in fall; most (middle) leaflet has a definite lobes; small or low shrubs, common in swamps and bogs stalk, ± coarse teeth (variable); woody toward base, NOT stem woody toward base, often climbing (no aerial roots) climbing with aerial roots or may be prostrate and “shrubby” ANACARDIACEAE – CASHEW (SUMAC) FAMILY

European Smoketree; Cotinus coggygria Scop. (Introduced) Smoke Tree; Raf. Fragrant Sumac; Rhus aromatica Aiton [Shining] Winged Sumac; Rhus copallinum L. Smooth Sumac; Rhus glabra L. Staghorn Sumac; Rhus typhina L. [Eastern] Poison Ivy; Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze Poison Sumac; Toxicodendron vernix (L.) Kuntze European Smoketree USDA Cotinus coggygria Scop. (Introduced) Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family) Lenawee County, Michigan Notes: to small tree; flowers dioecious, small, white to yellowish, dropping early leaving long stalks with purple hairs (very showy); leaves simple, alternate, elliptical to oval; twigs reddish when young but brownish later; asymmetrical and flattened; spring (determined to be C. coggygria due to more northern location) [V Max Brown, 2008] Smoke Tree USDA Cotinus obovatus Raf. Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family) Close Memorial Park, Springfield, Greene County, Missouri (planted tree) Notes: shrub to small tree; flowers dioecious, small, greenish yellow in clusters, dropping early leaving long stalks with purple hairs (very showy); leaves simple, alternate, mostly oval; twigs reddish when young but gray later; fruits asymmetrical and flattened; spring [V Max Brown, 2012] Fragrant Sumac USDA Rhus aromatica Aiton Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub; flowers yellowish green in clusters on catkin-like structure; leaves alternate, trifoliate, terminal leaflet mostly sessile, fragrant when crushed, shape and pubescence variable (form varieties); stem with lenticels or pores; twigs thin, often bent; fruit bright red, with long hairs, in clusters; spring [V Max Brown, 2008] [Shining] Winged USDA Sumac Rhus copallinum L. var. latifolia Engl. Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family) Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub; flowers greenish yellow; pinnate leaves (13 or fewer leaflets usually), mostly entire or with fine teeth, both petiole and rachis winged, upper surface lustrous, 2-3+ cm wide; bark with raised bumps and streaks (resin canals); twigs and buds with velvety hair; fruit red in upright spikes, with dense short hairs; summer [V Max Brown, 2006] Smooth Sumac USDA Rhus glabra L. Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub; flowers yellowish green; leaves pinnate (11- 21 leaflets), with teeth, mostly sessile; stem with raised dots (resin canals), my be glaucous; twigs mostly glabrous; fruit red, in upright panicle or spike, short hairy; widespread shrub; spring [V Max Brown, 2005] Staghorn Sumac USDA Rhus typhina L. Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family) Maumee Bay State Park, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub; flowers yellowish green; leaves pinnate (7-(10-25)) leaflets, toothed; fruit, twigs and leaf axis with dense, long hairs; trunk lenticels horizontal; leaf scars very deep; spring; the largest of the sumacs [V Max Brown, 2006] [Common] Poison Ivy USDA Toxicodendron radicans (L.) Kuntze Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family) Maumee River Metroparks, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: shrub or ; flowers small, yellowish white to greenish, form clusters in leaf axils; 3 leaflets (trifoliate), ± coarse teeth; stem woody toward base, climbing or prostrate; fruit white to gray; buds with very fine hairs; poisonous to touch at all times (resinous oil); variable with several varieties [V Max Brown, 2005] Poison Sumac USDA Toxicodendron vernix (L.) Kuntze Anacardiaceae (Cashew Family) Pokagon State Park, Steuben County, Indiana Notes: shrub to small tree; flowers yellowish green; leaves pinnate, 7-13+ leaflets, entire, rachis red and not winged; fruit white, in panicles; leaves scarlet red in fall; buds downy hairy; swamps, bogs, etc.; late spring to early summer (Poisonous) [V Max Brown, 2009]