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''Schinus'' is a genus of
flowering
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...
tree
In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...
s and tall
shrub
A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...
s 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 ...
family,
Anacardiaceae
The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce ...
. Members of the genus are commonly known as pepper trees. The Peruvian pepper tree (''
Schinus molle
''Schinus molle'' (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, (Archived bWebCite peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul (in Mexican Spanish s ...
'') is the source of the spice known as
pink peppercorn
A pink peppercorn (French: ''baie rose'', "pink berry") is a dried berry referring to three different species; the traditional Baies rose plant ''Euonymus phellomanus'', the shrub ''Schinus molle'', commonly known as the Peruvian peppertree, and ...
s. Some species (e.g. ''
Schinus terebinthifolia
''Schinus terebinthifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America. Common names include Brazilian peppertree, aroeira, rose pepper, broadleaved pepper tree, ...
'') have become an
invasive species
An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species ad ...
outside their natural habitats. ''
Schinus polygama
''Schinus polygama'', the Hardee peppertree or Chilean pepper tree, is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae native to Argentina and Chile and naturalized in California.
Taxonomy
The species name has been spelled ''Schinus polygamus'', ...
'', although less well known, is also potentially weedy in mesic areas.
Etymology
The generic name is derived from the
Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
word for ''
Pistacia lentiscus
''Pistacia lentiscus'' (also lentisk or mastic) is a dioecious evergreen shrub or small tree of the genus ''Pistacia'' native to the Mediterranean Basin. It grows up to tall and is cultivated for its aromatic resin, mainly on the Greek islan ...
'', Σχίνος (''schinos''), which it resembles. There has been considerable historic confusion as to the correct gender of the genus name; as of 2015 this has been resolved with the determination that the correct gender of ''Schinus'' is feminine (rather than masculine), and adjectival names within the genus must be spelled accordingly.
[Zona, S. (2015). The correct gender of ''Schinus'' (Anacardiaceae). Phytotaxa, 222(1), 75–77. doi:https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.222.1.9]
Taxonomy
Over time there has been a fair amount of reclassification within this genus and earlier names may incorrectly continue to be used by those unaware of changes, including in some cases government departments and even textbooks. The name ''Schinus areira'' remains widespread, in Australia (the peppercorn tree) in particular, but this is now considered to be a variety of ''
Schinus molle
''Schinus molle'' (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, (Archived bWebCite peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul (in Mexican Spanish s ...
'' (var. ''areira'').
Selected species
*''
Schinus engleri
''Schinus engleri'' is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by wh ...
''
Barkley (
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, and
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
)
*''
Schinus fasciculata
''Schinus'' is a genus of flowering trees and tall shrubs in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as pepper trees. The Peruvian pepper tree (''Schinus molle'') is the source of the spice known as pink pepperc ...
''
(Griseb.) I.M.Johnst.
*''
Schinus latifolia
''Schinus'' is a genus of flowering trees and tall shrubs in the sumac family, Anacardiaceae. Members of the genus are commonly known as pepper trees. The Peruvian pepper tree (''Schinus molle'') is the source of the spice known as pink pepperc ...
''
(Gillies ex Lindl.) Engl.
*''
Schinus molle
''Schinus molle'' (Peruvian pepper, also known as American pepper, Peruvian peppertree, escobilla, false pepper, rosé pepper, molle del Peru, pepper tree, (Archived bWebCite peppercorn tree, California pepper tree, pirul (in Mexican Spanish s ...
''
L. (=''S. huygan'') – Peruvian pepper tree (Western
South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
)
**''Schinus molle'' var. ''areira''
(L.) DC. (=''S. areira'')
**''Schinus molle'' var. ''molle''
*''
Schinus pearcei
''Schinus pearcei'' is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is found in Bolivia, Chile, and Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol ...
''
Engler (
Bolivia
, image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg
, flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center
, flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...
, and
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
)
*''
Schinus polygama
''Schinus polygama'', the Hardee peppertree or Chilean pepper tree, is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae native to Argentina and Chile and naturalized in California.
Taxonomy
The species name has been spelled ''Schinus polygamus'', ...
''
(Cav.) Cabrera (=''S. dentata'', ''S. dependens'') (southern South America)
*''
Schinus terebinthifolia
''Schinus terebinthifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America. Common names include Brazilian peppertree, aroeira, rose pepper, broadleaved pepper tree, ...
''
Raddi – Brazilian pepper tree (southeastern
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
, northern Argentina, and
Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
)
**''Schinus terebinthifolia var. acutifolia''
Engl.
**''Schinus terebinthifolia'' var. ''pohliana''
Engl.
**''Schinus terebinthifolia'' var. ''raddiana''
Engl.
**''Schinus terebinthifolia'' var. ''rhoifolia''
(Mart.) Engl. (=''S. aroiera'', ''S. rhoifolia'')
**''Schinus terebinthifolia'' var. ''terebinthifolia''
*''
Schinus venturi
''Schinus venturi'' is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia. It is threatened by habitat loss
Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss and habitat reduction) is the process by which a na ...
''
Barkley (Argentina and Bolivia)
*''
Schinus weinmanniifolia
''Schinus weinmanniifolia'', the Uruguyan pepper tree, is a native tree of Uruguay, northwest Argentina, Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, link ...
''
Mart. ex Engl.
Formerly placed here
*''
Cuscuta myricoides
''Cuscuta'' (), commonly known as dodder or amarbel, is a genus of over 201 species of yellow, orange, or red (rarely green) parasitic plants. Formerly treated as the only genus in the family Cuscutaceae, it now is accepted as belonging in the ...
''
(L.) Druce (as ''S. myricoides''
L.)
*''
Limonia acidissima
''Limonia acidissima'' is the only species within the monotypic genus ''Limonia''. Common names for the species in English include wood-apple and elephant-apple. It is sometimes also called monkey fruit.
Description
''Limonia acidissima'' is a l ...
''
L. (as ''S. limonia''
L.)
*''
Lithraea molleoides
''Lithraea molleoides'' ( syn. ''Lithraea molleoides'' var. ''lorentziana'' Lillo, ''Lithraea ternifolia'', ''Schinus brasiliensis'' Marchand ex Cabrera, ''Schinus leucocarpus'' M., ''Schinus molleoides'' ( Vell.) Engler, ''Lithraea aroeir ...
''
(Vell.) Engl. (as ''S. molleoides''
Vell.)
*''
Zanthoxylum fagara
''Zanthoxylum fagara'' or wild lime, is a species of flowering plant that—despite its name—is not part of the genus ''Citrus'' with real limes and other fruit, but is a close cousin in the larger citrus family, Rutaceae. It is native to sout ...
''
(L.) Sarg. (as ''S. fagara''
L.)
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q786249
Anacardiaceae genera