Putnam Park Wildflowers


Flower ID: IMG_0998.JPG-07-02-2017
Flower name (scientific): Rhus typhina Linnaeus PY: 1756. Pronunciation guide: (phonetic spelling) RHOOS ty-FEE-nah
Flower name (common): Staghorn Sumac
Family name (common): Sumac
Family name (scientific): Anacardiaceae
Scientific name origin:
     Genus: Classical Latin from ancient Greek for a sumac.
    Specific epithet: Resembles Typha, genus name for the bulrushs or cat tails.
Common name origin: Refers to the branches are rough like antlers. Sumac is derived from the French and the Latin sumac, originally referring to both the plant and the red-colored fruit.
Flower description:
     Size: 0.1 to 0.2 inches (0.3 to 0.5 cm)
     Petal count: 5
     Color: red
     Other: flower arrangement, Panicle
Plant description:
     Size: 48 to 180 inches (1.2 to 4.6 m)
     Stem hairy:
     Other:
Leaf description: attachment is alternate, type is compound
     Size: Leaves up to 40 to 45 cm lomg. Leaflets up to 10 to 12 cm long and up to 2.5 to 4.5 wide.
     Color:
     Hairy:
     Other: Shape: leaf, odd-pinnate (IL), leaflet, lanceolate-oblong (MBG), oblong-lanceolate (IL)
Origin (native, introduced, invasive): Native
Status (common, uncommon, threatened, rare): Common
Bloom time (typical): June to July
Cycle (annual, biennial, perennial): Perennial
Habitat: Prairies, woodlands, thickets, forest edges, disturbed areas, roadsides, waste ground, sun or part shade, dry to moist.
Fruit:
Seed:
Importance to wildlife:
Similar species (if any): Rhus glabra (Smooth Sumac) has some resemblance, but Rhus typhina can be distinguished by its fuzzy fruit and hairy branches.
Ethnobotany: The Menominee employed the root bark, the inner bark of the trunk, and the twigs as a medicine. They also used the berries to treat consumption and pulmonary issues. The dried berries were used to prepare a beverage. The boiled roots were used by the Menominee to produce a yellow dye (Smith, pp. 22, 62, 77, 1923). The Meskwaki used the berries of this species as one ingredient in a remedy for pinworms (Smith, p. 201, 1928). The Ojibwe used the root as a remedy for hemorrhage and also employ the berries as a food source (Smith, p. 354, 397, 1932). The Potawatomi employed the leaves as an ingredient in their tobacco (Smith, p. 118, 1933).
Latitude:
Longitude:
Altitude:
Distribution: In Wisconsin: (Adams, Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Brown, Buffalo, Burnett, Calumet, Chippewa, Clark, Columbia, Crawford, Dane, Dodge, Door, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Florence, Fond du Lac, Forest, Grant, Green, Iowa, Iron, Jackson, Jefferson, Kenosha, Kewaunee, La Crosse, Lafayette, Langlade, Lincoln, Manitowoc, Marathon, Marinette, Marquette, Menominee, Milwaukee, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Ozaukee, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Racine, Richland, Rock, Rusk, Sauk, Sawyer, Shawano, Sheboygan, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Vernon, Vilas, Walworth, Washburn, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Wood) Click here for distribution map
In US: (AL, CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, UT, VA, VT, WI, WV)
In Canada: (NB, NS, ON, PE, QC)
References:
Synonym(s):
Basionym: na
Homotypic Synonym(s):
Heterotypic Synonym(s): Rhus hirta (L.) Sudw. in Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 19: 81 (1892).
Autonym: na