Varnish tree (Toxicodendron vernicifluum)
Description
Poison sumac is a shrub or small tree, growing up to nearly 30 feet in height. Each pinnate leaf has 7-13 leaflets, each of which is 2-4 inches long. These are oval-to-oblong; acuminate (tapering to a sharp point); cuneate (wedge-shaped) at the base; undulate (wavy-edged); with an underside that is glabrous (hairless) or slightly pubescent (down-like hair) beneath. The stems along the leaflets are red and the leaves can have a reddish tint to them, particularly at the top of the plant. New bark for a poison sumac tree is lightish gray, and as the bark ages, it becomes darker. Its flowers are greenish, growing in loose axillary panicles (clusters) 3-8 inches long. The fruits are subglobose (not quite spherical), gray, flattened, and about 0.2 inches across. Poison sumac fruit are creamy white and part of a cluster. Typically, they are around 4 to 5 mm (0.18 inches) in size. The fruit and leaves of the poison sumac plant contain urushiol, an oil that causes an allergic rash upon contact with skin.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Sapindales
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Family: Anacardiaceae
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Genus: Toxicodendron
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