''Rhus trilobata'' is a shrub in the
sumac
Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Eas ...
genus (''
Rhus
Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Eas ...
'') with the
common name
In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
s skunkbush sumac, sourberry, skunkbush,
[ and three-leaf sumac. It is native to the western half of Canada and the ]Western United States
The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...
, from the Great Plains
The Great Plains (french: Grandes Plaines), sometimes simply "the Plains", is a broad expanse of flatland in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, an ...
to California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
and south through Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
extending into northern Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
. It can be found from deserts to mountain peaks up to about in elevation.
Distribution
''Rhus trilobata'' grows in many types of plant communities, such as the grasslands east of the Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
, mountainous shrubland, pine, juniper, and fir forests, wetlands, oak woodlands, and chaparral. The plant is destroyed above ground but rarely killed by wildfire
A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...
, and will readily sprout back up in burned areas.
Description
This ''Rhus'' species closely resembles other members of the genus that have leaves with three "leaflets" ("trifoliate" leaves). These include ''Rhus aromatica
''Rhus aromatica'', the fragrant sumac, is a deciduous shrub in the family Anacardiaceae native to North America.(1) (2) It is found in southern Canada (Alberta to Quebec) and nearly all of the lower 48 states except peninsular Florida.
Fragr ...
'', native to eastern North America, and western poison-oak
''Toxicodendron diversilobum'' (syn. ''Rhus diversiloba''), commonly named Pacific poison oak or western poison oak, is a woody vine or shrub in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. It is widely distributed in western North America, inhabiting coni ...
. The shape of the leaflets and the habit of the shrub make this species, like some other ''Rhus'', resemble small-leafed oaks (''Quercus
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably '' ...
'').
The ''Rhus trilobata'' leaves have a very strong scent when crushed. The aroma is medicinal or bitter, disagreeable enough to some to have gained the plant the name skunkbush. The leaves are green when new and turn orange and brown in the fall. The twigs are fuzzy when new, and turn sleek with age. The flowers, borne on small catkins ("short shoots"), are white or light yellow. Edible fruit, the plant yields hairy and slightly sticky red berries which have an aroma similar to limes and a very sour taste. The acidity comes from tannic and gallic acid
Gallic acid (also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid) is a trihydroxybenzoic acid with the formula C6 H2( OH)3CO2H. It is classified as a phenolic acid. It is found in gallnuts, sumac, witch hazel, tea leaves, oak bark, and other plants. It i ...
s. The flowers are animal-pollinated and the seeds are dispersed by animals that eat the berries. The shrub also reproduces vegetatively, sending up sprouts several meters away and forming thickets.
Uses
The berries are an important food source in winter for many birds and some small mammals.
The skunkbush sumac has historically been used for medicinal and other purposes. The bark has been chewed or brewed into a drink for cold symptoms, the berries eaten for gastrointestinal complaints and toothache, and the leaves and roots boiled and eaten for many complaints. The leaves have also been smoked. The flexible branches were useful and sought after for twisting into basketry
Basket weaving (also basketry or basket making) is the process of weaving or sewing pliable materials into three-dimensional artifacts, such as baskets, mats, mesh bags or even furniture. Craftspeople and artists specialized in making baskets ...
and rugs. The berries, although sour, are edible. They can be baked into bread or mixed into porridge or soup. Steeped, they can make a tea or tart beverage similar to lemonade.[ The fruit can also be eaten directly, although a bit of salt may improve the flavor. According to Marvin Johnson Jr, a Mono native from Cold Springs Rancheria (a ]federally recognized tribe
This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States of America. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes were legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United ...
from Tollhouse, California
Tollhouse (formerly, Toll House) is an unincorporated community in Fresno County, California. It lies at an elevation of . Tollhouse is located in the Sierra Nevada, southwest of Shaver Lake and 18 miles southwest of Huntington Lake. It is ...
), the fruit will last all year long if you have flats full and dry them out. He goes on to say, once you're ready to eat them, just add a little moisture.
It is sometimes planted for erosion
Erosion is the action of surface processes (such as water flow or wind) that removes soil, rock, or dissolved material from one location on the Earth's crust, and then transports it to another location where it is deposited. Erosion is distin ...
control and landscaping, and is a plant used for reclaiming barren land stripped by mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
.
The Zuni people
The Zuni ( zun, A:shiwi; formerly spelled ''Zuñi'') are Native American Pueblo peoples native to the Zuni River valley. The Zuni are a Federally recognized tribe and most live in the Pueblo of Zuni on the Zuni River, a tributary of the Lit ...
, Navajo, Mono tribe of California and tribes in the area use the stems with the bark removed to make baskets.
The Uncompahgre Ute
The Uncompahgre Ute () or ꞌAkaꞌ-páa-gharʉrʉ Núuchi (also: Ahkawa Pahgaha Nooch) is a band of the Ute, a Native American tribe located in the US states of Colorado and Utah. In the Ute language, means "rocks that make water red." The band ...
name for the berries is ''mah wup'', and the bush is called ''ece''.[Wardle, Hazel (1969). ''Uncompahgre Ute words and phrases'', p. 13. Salt Lake City Western History Center, University of Utah https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6xd3x5k]
References
Casebeer, M. (2004). ''Discover California Shrubs''. Sonora, California: Hooker Press.
External links
USDA Plants Profile - ''Rhus trilobata''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7155056
trilobata
Fiber plants
Flora of North America
Natural history of the California Coast Ranges
Natural history of the Santa Monica Mountains
Natural history of the Central Valley (California)
Natural history of the Peninsular Ranges
Bird food plants
Plants used in traditional Native American medicine
Plants used in Native American cuisine
Plant dyes