Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-10
NOTES OK THE FLORA OF YER.
MONTH";.


written for the FfoG Press by Geo. II. pcrkins.l
The SuMAcn is shrub with u foreign APP
pearancc as If 1t were rather a sraggler from
warmer climate than native here. Its
general habit Of growth and the form Of its
leaves are more like tropical than temperate
plants, although it is not more than many
other OF our shrubsa lover of warm countries.
Wherever ii grows it is always unmstakable
and prominent, never blending its form SO
completely with other shrubbcry that its
identity is lost. Indeed it contrasts rather
than blends with our other shrubs, for there
Is none which very closely resembles the
Sumach and most are quite unlilicit it. Simple
leaves are characteristic of northern shrubs
and trees, but AS we go southwark compound
leaves appear more and more commonly.
In few Of our most hardy shrubs
and trees we find compound leaves as in the
| the Mountain Ash, Elder, aud Butternut,
but these are exceptions 10 general rule.
In none of'thcm do we find as large and
tropical-lookiug leaves as in the Sumach for
when well grown these may be two feet
long with dozen or more of the sharply
toothed leaflets On each side of the main
pctiole. The smooth surface and clear,
bright green OF the leaves is also noticeable
The mode of branching which shrubs
exhibit affects their appearance as much
relatively as does that Of trees their form.
The branches of the Sumach are comparative.
ly few in number and are not at all slender
and flexible but thick and stiff, and grow in
such way that the lcagy top is broad and
flat or only slightly rounded and forms a
canopy through the irregular openings of
which the sunlight plays and forms soft
fretwork on the grass below. The full Gle
gancc Of this leafy root is best appreciated
when one sands beneath it and looks
through it at the blue above.
have written as if there were but one
species of s,umach though there are growing
in this State six, all belonging to the genus
Rhus, though two OF them are not usually
known by the name sumach. The common
Smoke Tree, whose delicate smokc-kt
masses of flowers SO frequently adorn oui
lawns is a European species of Sumach
which is said TO grow wild in the Southern
States.
Inc largest species u inc genus, lllt
, STAeHORS SUMAOII, is so much more abuud
aut than the other species that 1t may be
spoken Of as tie .Sumach, and it is especially
This that we have been writing. The me is
appropriate because the thick branches are
clothed with growth Of soft, short hairs
almost like fur or velvet, and this Otter
causes them to resemble the horns of a stag
} when in the velvet. This Sumach grow:
in rocky aud rather poor soil, preferably D.
sunny hillside. Large specimens reach {
height Of twenty or thirty iaei, but most
commonly not more than half this height i.
reached. In spring when the young branches
are freshly clothed with their soft covering
and the new, fresh leaves are unfolding, the
Sumach is a very fine shrub. It grow:
more aud more handsome, however, as the
; season ADVANCES each change in its develop
ment bringing additional elegance. Ihl
/ leaves grow more and more elegant as they
: unfold, and when the flowers come. while
they are certainly neither snowy nor attract
J i've in themselves, they yet add to the atlrac
! tiveness of the whole. The grcenish, homely
flowers grow in large, finely shaped clusters
and it is not long before they ripen into the
hard fruits or berries and .hen the dull
, spheres have gown splendid in theil
| crimson coats and the whole bush CLOVIS
: AT first the depth and brilliancy of the color
: is exqusiteiy dimmed by lrosting of silver,
, powder very sharply acid to the taste. This
: powder disappears after time, though thu
acid flavor remains. 1t is COMPOUND
| Of lime with malc acid. Ii. early AUTUMN
tue large, pyramidal punches of fruit have
! reached their full size and finest color Ere
r long the carly fross, herald OF cold and
, storm to come, touch the leaves aud us il
. conscious that their time lis short they MAKE
. one last, supreme effort and rival the.fruit il
: brilliancy Of color they more than rival
they exceed it, and the bush is ailaine will
respondent hu,s. A New England hillside
, over, which grove of Sumach has estab
llshed itself, is often most picturesque ant
almost gorgeous sight on an October after
: noon. A little later the glory departs MS III
leaves fall, and only the siiiI rather ungainl'
branches mere framework Of the grace
full structurC-remain, holding still TIN
fading berries. The wood of this Sumach i
, very finely colored and would be VALUABLE
T for ornamental purposes could it be obtained
in sufficient. quantities. 1t is bright. clea
yellow, shaded and graiped with gray. Thu
Lark il valuable Tor tanning, and also II ma.
: be used for dying black.
Another species of Sumach, which is some
what common IN portions of Vermont, il
called the SMOOTH SuMACu. 1t does no
reach much more than half the size of tn,
former species which it closely resembles
except that ii. branches lack the downy
covering which distinguishes the Staghorn
1t blooms later than the larger species.
Sill smaller are the MOUNTAIN SUMAC
whose home is sufficiently indicated by its
name, and the SWEET SUMAo, which grows
in thickcts or among shrubbcry and i.
aromatic.
The tao remaining species OF the genu:
W har tnf har n 4,
wholly depraved and villainous, with, 50 far
as can discover, not a single redeeming
quality.
The Poison SuMAo or Dogwood, and it
must not be confounded with the true Dog
wood of which we have several species and
which are entirely harmless, -iS certainly the
most virulontly poisonous plant which grows
In New England, and probably there is none
worse in North America 1t is complete
hypocritc, for II hides its rascally nature
beneath fair exterior, and is fine, inno-
cent looking shrub. 1t is hardly possible to
give any easily remembered and recognized
character which will enable any one who
may change upon this to avoid 1t, for it is
not very unlike other and innocuous species.
The leaves are smooth as is the whole bush,
compound, as in other species of Rhus, with
entire leaflets seven to thirteen in number.
The berries are greersh or yellowish and
much larger than those of the common species.
Fortunately ii is rarely found OUTSIDE o:
swamps and eYcn there is not very common,
so that ordinary one is in no great danger from
its baneful influence. Not only is this shrub,
or small tree, for it may be large enough to
be called tree, poisonous to taste and touch,
but at times it is so saturated with poison
that it renders the very air about it dele
terious
The common PQsoN Ivy docs not resemble
the fine Sumach very greatly, yet it bears
the family marks and must be allowed Its
place with the rest. 1t is plant worthy of
detestation, though it is far from being as
poisonous as its more plausible sister. 1t is
not injurious at all to many persons and not
usually productive. of the very serious