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Staghorn Sumac

Rhus typhina,

Description:

This is a young plant which I found growing near the foothills. I am going to attempt describing the leaves and Leaf arrangement. i did not see any Stipules. The leaves seem to be Sessile. Leaves are Simple.simple leaf has an undivided blade. Venation-- the major veins stretch up to the margin of the leaf, This kind of venation is known as "craspedodromous," This plant exhibits "Heteroblasty" which means that lant has marked changes in leaf size, shape, and growth habit between juvenile and adult stages.Picture# 2 shows how the leaves are red when in infancy and how they turn green as they reach maturity. the edge is "crenate" ie.: wavy-toothed; dentate with rounded teeth, such as in Fagus (beech) The tip of the leaf is acute ,which means that it is ending in a ending in a sharp, but not prolonged point. the base is " Acute" which means that it is coming to a sharp, but not prolonged point. The surface of the leaf is" glabrous" that is not smooth, not hairy.

Habitat:

Foothills

Notes:

http://captivabeachvilla.com/indiana_tre... Rhus typhina

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16 Comments

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Looks like Staghorn Sumac.

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Rhus could be a remote possibility.
The leaf arrangement is a little hard to explain Because it has two sets. The primary leaflet has opposite leaf arrangement and the arrangement of these primary leaflets on the major stem is alternate.

oxyjack
oxyjack 12 years ago

We have a couple of native Rhus species in California. One is called Lemonadeberry. It produces sour little red berries that are edible, if you add lots of sugar.

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Yes they were alternate on the major stem!That is what got me thinking about Sumac!!

Awesome!
I was surprised while doing research to find that Sumac is edible. Some of the species.
In a way i am relieved its not Sumac!

oxyjack
oxyjack 12 years ago

I may be able to get someone from the UC Berkeley Botanical Gardens to have a look. They have an amazing collection of plants from all over California.

oxyjack
oxyjack 12 years ago

Were the compound leaves opposite or alternate on the major stems (branches?). It's hard to see how they are in relation to each other.

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Thank you Leuba.

Leuba Ridgway
Leuba Ridgway 12 years ago

the young red shoots are dramatic - beautiful !

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Sumac?

JosephSpurr
JosephSpurr 12 years ago

Great idea Emma! I shall make that adjustment :)

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Joseph,in that case do you think that calling your mission"Unique Leaves Of FLorida" might make it more noticeable for spotters from Florida? Just a suggestion.

JosephSpurr
JosephSpurr 12 years ago

Oh the 300 mile thing is no biggie. It is pretty much the entire state of Florida. It wont dampen my enthusiasm one bit, dont you worry! I'm very fond of PN and its citizens! There are a lot of great people just like myself with passion for all things in the natural world. Not to mention some very impressive photographers! Thank you for all your help and kind words Emma! :) P.S.- Beech sounds like a good lead...

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Thanks Joseph. i am going to read a little more to see if it could be "Beech"
BTW,i feel terrible that I had to be the one to tell you about the 300 mile radius rule. When there is such a limitation it could start out slow. I hope that it does not curb your enthusiam!!

JosephSpurr
JosephSpurr 12 years ago

Excellent and informative description Emma! It reminds me of holly some what, however I know thats not it. Beautiful in the second photo, I like the red new growth...

Hema  Shah
Hema Shah 12 years ago

Thanks Viv . My passion has always been leaves. What I really would like to do is take cross sections of each leaf and microscopically examine them.May be one of these days.

VivBraznell
VivBraznell 12 years ago

The young foliage is beautiful Emma.

HemaShah
Spotted by
HemaShah

Tulare, California, USA

Spotted on Mar 31, 2012
Submitted on Mar 31, 2012

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