Rhus vernix

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Rhus vernix
Leaves of Rhus vernix

Leaves of Rhus vernix

Systematics
Eurosiden II
Order : Sapindales (Sapindales)
Family : Sumac family (Anacardiaceae)
Genre : Rhus
Subgenus : Toxicodendron
Type : Rhus vernix
Scientific name
Rhus vernix
L.

Rhus vernix L. (Syn .: Toxicodendron vernix ( L. ) Kuntze ) is a species of plant from the genus Rhus within the sumac family(Anacardiaceae). English-language common names are poison sumac and thunderwood, which is used in particular in the south of its distribution area. All parts of the plant contain an oily urushiol , which can cause irritation on the skin and mucous membranes of people. Inhaling the smoke from burnt plants can trigger coughing fits, accompanied by extreme pain and occasional breathing problems.

description

illustration
Trunk and bark
Branches with imparipinnate leaves leaves in the habitat in Cedarburg Bog State Natural Area in Ozaukee County ( Wisconsin )
Distribution area
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Vegetative characteristics

Toxicodendron vernix grows as a shrub or small tree that reaches heights of up to 9 meters. The bark of the branches is initially light gray and becomes darker with age.

The alternate leaves are arranged in a petiole and a leaf blade. The imparipinnate leaf blade consists of 7 to 13 pinnate leaves . The leaflets are oval to oblong with a length of 2 in (51 mm) to 4 in (102 mm) with an obverse-wedge-shaped base and a pointed upper end as well as a wavy edge. Their underside is hairy bald or sparsely downy. The stems of the leaflets are red and partly framed in red, especially at the top of the plant.

Generative characteristics

The flowers are loosely arranged in lateral, paniculate inflorescences. The greenish flowers are 3 in (76 mm) to 8 in (203 mm) long. The fruits, gray or creamy white when ripe, are about 0.2 in (5 mm) in diameter, not entirely spherical and flattened.

Occurrence

Rhus vernix is common in the eastern United States and in the extreme southeast of Canada . It grows exclusively on moist, loamy soils , usually in swamps and peat bogs .

Toxicity

In terms of the potential to cause urushiol-induced contact eczema , Rhus vernix outperforms its close relatives Rhus radicans and Rhus diversilobum . According to some botanists, Rhus vernix is the most poisonous plant species in the United States.

The differences in the toxicity of the three species result from the different side chains of the chemical substances contained in the plant parts. Normally, Rhus radicans have C 15 chains and Rhus diversilobum C 17 chains, while Rhus vernix has a C 13 chain.

The dermatitis itself manifests itself in painful and long-lasting swellings and rashes. In the worst case, inhaling the smoke from burned plants leads to life-threatening pulmonary edema when the alveoli fill with fluid.

swell

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Harriet L. Keeler: Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them . Charles Scribner's Sons, New York 1900, pp. 94-96.
  2. ↑ Colby Rucker: Tall Trees of Maryland . 2003. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  3. ↑ Edward Frankel: Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Poison Sumac and Their Relatives; Pistachios, mangoes and cashews . The Boxwood Press, Pacific Grove, Calif. 1991, ISBN 0-940168-18-9 .
  4. ^ Poison Sumac .

Web links

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