Talk:Rhus typhina

Additional references

Larsen, Eric. "Plant of the week. January 26, 2006. Staghorn Sumac, Rhus typhina" (PDF). Marsh Botanical Gardens, Yale University. Retrieved 2012-07-20.

The Rhus genus includes about 150 species. The dried leaves of several species of Rhus are an important source of tannins, while other species produce lacquers. Many Sumac species are poisonous but the Staghorn Sumac's flowers provide a drink that has been compared to lemonade. Staghorn Sumac is a native of the eastern half of North America from Quebec and Ontario in Canada to George, Indiana, and Iowa in the United States. It grows well in full sun and in most soil types. It propagates itself by sending out branches or roots that establish themselves close to the parent plant producing a colonizing effect.

The tallest Staghorn Sumac, Rhus typhina, is in Alabama. It stands 61 feet tall and is 20 feet wide. Most cultivated Sumacs grow to 15 to 25 feet high with a spread that is equal to or greater than its height. Staghorn Sumac leaves are up to two feet in length. The light green leaves turn a very striking orange to red in the fall.

This is not a ruse

The two photographs that I placed onto the page may be Rhus glabra. Those photographs are of the same group of plants, taken months apart. The photographs may be moved to the Rhus glabra page soon.Velocicaptor 20:50, 19 May 2007 (UTC)

Moved the photographs

Rhus typhina is the proper page for the photographs. I examined the seeds and concluded that the plants are not Rhus typhina.Velocicaptor 22:21, 10 June 2007 (UTC)

I erroneously concluded that they were Rhus glabra seeds. The plants are Rhus typhina plants.

Velocicaptor 07:14, 20 June 2007 (UTC)

Explanations from Handbook Number 450

Ripening drupes of Rhus typhina on June 11, 2007

United States Department of Agriculture Handbook No. 450 relates that the fruit of Rhus typhina begins to ripen in June.

File:SeedsbookRHUS.jpg

Table No. 2 from Handbook Number 450

File:2ndBOOKRHUS.jpg

Conversely, the fruit of Rhus glabra ripens in autumn. I will follow the explanations contained in Handbook Number 450 whenever I edit either page.

Time is of the essence. In the future, my edits may appear sporadically. I will be hesitant and careful.

Rhus typhina plants seem to be scarce, here. I may have been observing undersized Rhus typhina plants. They produce flowers when they are young, short, small and thin.

Velocicaptor 13:04, 13 June 2007 (UTC)

Another Rhus typhina image.

This photograph is in Handbook No. 450

Velocicaptor 13:24, 13 June 2007 (UTC)

Stunted plants

Almost no other shrubs or trees grow in the rocky soil. Rhus typhina is able to grow and produce drupes.

The ruler is four feet (1.2m) long

Velocicaptor 04:20, 20 June 2007 (UTC) 1.2 meters equals 4.07244 feet. The ruler is 1.2 meters long. Velocicaptor 06:59, 20 June 2007 (UTC)

Drupes are to the right of the ruler

Rhus typhina tree that sprouted amidst stones

Poison Sumac

I removed the comment about not making the sumac drink out of poison sumac. The plants are not particularly closely related, and the fruits look nothing alike. The leaves are somewhat similar. The cautionary note seems akin to warning people not to eat Hemlock roots instead of carrots.--Taquito1 (talk) 02:36, 2 July 2014 (UTC)

Poison hemlock and wild carrots do look quite similar, though. Poison hemlock roots supposedly have a very disagreeable/noxious odour, though, while a wild carrot still smells like a carrot (but is too woody to be of any culinary value). maybe more akin to warning people not to confuse poison hemlock for hemlock? Firejuggler86 (talk) 03:53, 24 August 2020 (UTC)

Octet

Can somebody please explain the term “octet” used in this sentence - “Large clones can grow from octets in several years.” “Octet” means eight of something. I only know this term in music and computers, not Botany. Is it something to do with cell morphology? Darorcilmir (talk) 01:28, 9 October 2018 (UTC)

Minor edit

I added information about the fruit having antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Kdubzfr (talk) 18:21, 4 October 2023 (UTC)

Poison sumac

The species known by the common name of "Poison sumac" was originally classified in the Rhus L. (sumac) genus as R. vernix L.; i.e. as a true sumac. Subsequently the species was moved to the Toxicodendron Mill. genus as T. vernix (L.) Kuntze. Even now, "poison sumac" and true sumac species are both in the same family, "Anacardiaceae", subfamily, "Anacardioideae", and tribe, "Rhoeae". Given the above, even with the qualifying phrase "within Anacardiaceae" it is misleading to claim that "staghorn sumac is not closely related to poison sumac". This claim has been removed. This relationship between "poison sumac" and "sumac" would be a more appropriate subject, either in the "Toxicodendron vernix" article or the "Sumac" article, rather than in this "Rhus typhina" article. Maidenhair (talk) 17:53, 9 August 2024 (UTC) Maidenhair (talk) 17:53, 9 August 2024 (UTC)

References