Skunkbush Sumac
Rhus trilobata
Drawn from live specimen found in Maricopa County, Arizona.
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LEAVES: Compound leaves have three segments which have rounded lobes.
All the foliage will release pungent resinous terpenes on being crushed or
rubbed against. In autumn, like many sumacs, the deciduous leaves turn a
glorious orange-red. Some people get poison-ivy like dermatitis from this
plant.
SHRUB: A woody shrub usually 1 to 3
meters tall and often forming broad thickets.
RANGE: Skunkbush is a very common component of the understory in
sycamore canyons and can be found in most shady canyons in Arizona. It is also
a frequent component of chaparral and ponderosa woodlands.
FRUIT: Red berries with conspicuous trichomes
and a sticky texture.
FLOWERS: Whitish flowers are arrayed in compact
panicles blooming mostly in spring, but sporadically at other times
of the year.
UNARMED
Anacardiaceae -- Sumac Family
More Information:
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System
- USDA Plants Database Profile
- Firefly Forest - Tucson
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search