1 8 8 ARBORETUM E T FRUT ICE TUM B R ITA N NICUM .
(Dec. Prod.) A shrub, with the habit of a low deciduous tree. Canada
to Carolina, in rocky dry situations. Height 20 ft. Introduced in 1629.
Flowers, female dark purple, male greenish yellow and purple; July
and August. Fruit hairy, purple ; ripe in October. Decaying leaves dark
purple or red, sometimes mixed with yellow. Naked young wood dark
bi'own, hairy. DeCandolle has characterised two forms of this species as
iollows : —
Î R . /. 1 arboréscens. — A tree between 10 ft. and 25 ft. high ; leaf slightly
downy beneath.
Si R . t. 2 frutéscens.— Shrubby, between 2 f t. and 1 0 ft. h ig h ; and its
leaf downy and whitish beneath.
Ï R. /. 3 viridiflòra. R . viridiflòra Poir. — Flowers green. Possibly
nothing more than th e male plant.
R h u s typhina, in British gardens, is either a large shrub, o r a low tre e w ith
a woody stem and a head composed o f many irregular branches, generally
crooked and deformed. T h e young shoots are covered with a so ft velvet-like
down, resembling th a t o f a young stag’s horn, both in colour and te x tu re ;
whence, and probably also
fi-oin th e crookedness o f the
branches, the common name.
T h e cellular tissue o f th e wood
is o f an orange colour, with a
strong aromatic odour, and a
copious resinous juice. The
leaves are 2 ft. to 3 ft. long, and
they are very conspicuous in
autumn, before they drop off,
when they change to a (mrplish
o r yellowish red. The flowers
are produced in close spikes at
the ends o f th e branches ; they
are often polygamous o r dioecious
by abortion, and the 282. « h is tjphina.
female ones are followed by seeds enclosed in woolD, simple, succulent covers.
As the plant is o f open irregular growth, and n o t o f long duration, it should
never be placed where it is intended to a c t as a screen. Like all objects the
chief beauty o f which consists in their singularity, it produces th e most striking
effect when standing alone on a lawn.
SÉ Î 3. R. ( ? T . ) g l a ' b r a Lin. T h e glabrous R h u s, or Scarlet Sumach.
Identification. L in . Spec., 380.; Dec. P ro d ., 2. p. (¡7.; D o n ’s M i l l . , 2. p. 70 ; T o r. an d Gray, 1. n 217
E n g ra vin g s. W a ts. Dend. B rit., t. IS. ; an d o m f ig . 283., th e female.
Sjtec. Char., Sfc. Leaf glabrous, o f 8— 10 pairs o f leaflets,
and an odd o n e ; leaflets lanceolate-oblong, serrate,
whitish beneath. Branches glabrous. (D e c . Prod.)
A deciduous shrub or low tree. Canada to Georgia.
Height 5 ft. to 18 ft. In tro d u ced in 1726. Flowers,
male greenish yellow, female greenish red. F ru it red ;
ripe in October. DeCandolle has distinguished three
forms o f this species ; namely : —
SÉ R . g . 1 hermaphrodita. R . glàbra Willd. Spec.
i. p. 1478., Dill. Ellh. t. 243. — Flowers hermaphrodite.
greenish.
SÉ R . g. 2 dioica Lam. 111. t. 207. f. 1. — Flowers
dioecious, greenish.
SÉ R . g. ? 3 cocánea. R . caroliniànum Mill. Dict. ;
R . élegans Ait., Lodd. Cat., Dend. Brit. t. 16.
— Flowers dioecious, red. This variety is distingiiished
by a more upright habit o f g rowth, and smoother branches
and leaves, than R . glabra. T h e leaves are glaucous u n d e rn e a th ;
and th e fruit is o f a rich velvety crimson.
The general appearance o f th e species is similar to th a t o f R . ty p hm a ;
but th e leaves and th e entire plant are smaller, th e branches more spreading
and smooth, and the leaflets wider, less serrated, and o f a deeper green.
* 4. R. v e n e n a ' t a Dec. T h e poisonous R h u s, Poison Wood, or Swamp Sumach.
IdpniiRcation De c. P ro d ., 2. p . G8. : D o n ’s Mill., 2. p . 7 1 .; T o r. an d Gray, 1. p . 218.
S n Z n ym e s . R . v e rn ix L in . Spec. 380., Rig. Med. ¿ o t. 1. p. 96. t. 10.; Tox ico d en d ro n pm n a tum
Mill. Dict. N o . 5 . ; P oison Sumach, P oison E ld e r.
E n g ra vin g s. W a ts. D end. B rit., t. 19.; an d o u r 284
Spec. Char., 4 c . L e a f ra th e r glabrous than pubescent, o f 5—6 pairs o f leaflets,
and th e odd one, which are ovate-lanceolate, acuminate, entire, and beneath
reticulately veined. (D e c . Prod.) A deciduous shrub. Canada to Georgia,
and west to Louisiana, in swamps. Height 15 ft. to 20 ft. Introd. 1713.
Flowers g re e n ; Ju ly . B erry smooth, greenish w h ite ; ripe in ? October.
Decaying leaves intense red, or purple.
Naked young wood purplish green.
The leaves are divided like th o se o f R.
typhina and R . g la b ra ; b u t they are quite
different from those o f b o th kinds, in being
smooth, shining, and having th e leaflets very
entire, narrow, and pointed, and th e veins qf
a purplish red colour. The whole shrub is
in a high degree poisonous ; and the poison is
communicated by touching or sme ling any
part of it. In British gardens it is n o t very
com m o n ; b u t it well deserves culture, on
account o f th e beauty o f its smooth shining
foliage at all seasons, and o f its almost u n paralleled
splendour in th e autumn, from th e
time th a t the leaves begin to change colour,
till they ultimately drop off, o f an intense
purple o r scarlet, with the first frost.
284. « h ù s v e n en a ta .
Si S 5. R. C o r i a ' r i a Lin. The hide-tanning Rhus, or the Elm-leaved Sumach.
Si Si! i L l k a n d also fly IfleTurlc.,
E n g ra v fn g s . '" n .^D u H am., 2. t. 4 6 .; W a ts. D e n d . B rit., 1 .136. -, an d our.^i;s. 28.5. an d 286.
Spec. Char., 4 e . L e a f villose, o f 5— 7
pairs of leaflets, and th e odd o n e ;
leaflets elliptical, and to o th ed with
large and b lu n t te e th . T h e petiole
smooth a t th e tip , a little margined.
(D e c . Prod.) A deciduous shrub or
low tree. P o rtu g a l to Tanria, on
rocks in exposed situations. Height
15ft. to 20 ft. Intro d u ced in 1629
Flowers whitish
green, large
pa
Ju ly anndd AAugust.
F ru it red ; ripe _
in October, rare ‘
in England. De-
285. «hi, Coriària. caying k a v c s p u rplish
red.
T h e general habit o f this plant resembles th a t o f R. typhina ; b n t it is