Family: Anacardiaceae
smooth sumac
[Rhus borealis Greene, more...]
Merel R. Black
Hugh H. Iltis
University of Wisconsin - Madison (WIS-VP)
Etymology: Rhus: derived from rhous, an ancient Greek name for Sumac
Plants: perennial shrub usually with only a few branches; twigs smooth; forming large colonies
Leaves: alternate, pinnately-divided into 11-31, often toothed leaflets, very pale below, main axil not winged
Flowers: in terminal cluster to 8"
Fruits: bright red, flattish, very hairy berry
Habitat: uplands, roadsides, woods edges
Conservation Status: Native - potentially invasive
Plants: perennial shrub usually with only a few branches; twigs smooth; forming large colonies
Leaves: alternate, pinnately-divided into 11-31, often toothed leaflets, very pale below, main axil not winged
Flowers: in terminal cluster to 8"
Fruits: bright red, flattish, very hairy berry
Habitat: uplands, roadsides, woods edges
Conservation Status: Native - potentially invasive
Thin woods of Jack pine, oak-basswood, oak, oak-hickory, oak-pine, basswood-hickory, pine; dry to mesic prairies (often on bluffs), oak barrens, oak savannas, open bluffs and clifftops, fields, thickets, old quarries, sand pits, along roadsides and railroads.
Occurring mostly south of the Tension Zone with scattered records from farther north. Both R. glabra and R. typhina are much more widespread but are ignored by collectors because of their large leaves and inflorescences, which are difficult to press. Rhus glabra usually grows in drier sites than R. typhina.
Floristic Rating: Coefficient of Conservatism = 2 WIS DNR-Bureau of Endangered Resources: Detailed information on Wisconsin invasive species including decription, habitats, control methods Atlas of the Wisconsin Prairie and Savanna Flora: by T.S. Cochrane & H.H. Iltis: habitat, distribution infomation / flowering and fruiting times USDA Plants Database: Federal Distribution and detailed information including photos University of Wisconsin - Green Bay: Shrubs: Photos, descriptions, information USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS): Images of seeds, fruits, embryos, etc. Dan Tenaglia's The Missouri Flora: Fabulous photographs; detailed descriptions; color and leave arrangement key. David G. Smith's "Delaware Wilflowers": Beautiful photographs; descriptions Virginia Tech Dept. of Forestry, College of Natural Resources: detailed description and photographs Southwest School of Botanical Medicine: Britton & Brown Illustrated Flora - 2nd Edition (1913) "An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada" Landscape Plants of the Upper Midwest; UW-Extension: Interactive guide providing information on cultivation including: soil, zone, growth rate, landscape uses, pruning, light requirements; with photos and Latin name pronounciation
Hugh H. Iltis
Merel R. Black
Merel R. Black
Kenneth J. Sytsma
Michael Clayton
Aaron_Carlson
Aaron_Carlson
Aaron_Carlson
Aaron_Carlson
Robert W. Freckmann
Botanical Illustration
Marion Sheehan
Botanical Illustration