''Schinus'' is a genus of flowering

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 shrubs in the sumac 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'') is the source of the spice known as pink peppercorns. Some species (e.g. '' Schinus terebinthifolia'') 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 adv ...

outside their natural habitats. '' Schinus polygama'', 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 isl ...

'', 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'' (var. ''areira'').

Selected species

*'' Schinus engleri'' 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, t ...

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'' (Griseb.) I.M.Johnst. *'' Schinus latifolia'' (Gillies ex Lindl.) Engl. *'' Schinus molle'' 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 souther ...

) **''Schinus molle'' var. ''areira'' (L.) DC. (=''S. areira'') **''Schinus molle'' var. ''molle'' *'' Schinus pearcei'' 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 eas ...

, 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'' (Cav.) Cabrera (=''S. dentata'', ''S. dependens'') (southern South America) *'' Schinus terebinthifolia''

Raddi Raddi is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Giuseppe Raddi (1770–1829), Italian botanist and curator * Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi Al-Saddiq Al-Raddi, ar, الصادق الرضي, born January 1969 in Omdurman, Sudan, is a Sudanes ...

– Brazilian pepper tree (southeastern

, 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'' Barkley (Argentina and Bolivia) *'' Schinus weinmanniifolia'' Mart. ex Engl.

Formerly placed here

*'' Cuscuta myricoides'' (L.) Druce (as ''S. myricoides'' L.) *'' Limonia acidissima'' L. (as ''S. limonia'' L.) *'' Lithraea molleoides'' (Vell.) Engl. (as ''S. molleoides'' Vell.) *'' Zanthoxylum fagara'' (L.) Sarg. (as ''S. fagara'' L.)

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q786249 Anacardiaceae genera