SU'XACH, laus, a genus of small trees and shrubs,of the natural order anacardiacav having small inconspicuous flowers in panicles or in corymbs; a 5-parted calyx, 5 petals, springing from beneath a large orbicular disk; 5 stamens; a 1-celled germen with 3 stig mas; the fruit a small, nearly dry drupe, with bony putamen. The species are numer ous, diffused over almost all parts of the world, except its coldest regions and Australia; and some of them, on account of peculiar principles which they contain, are of impor tance in the arts and in medicine; some are remarkable for their poisonous properties.— VENETIAN SUMACH (R. cotinus), known also as wig sumach or wig tree, is a native of the s. of Europe and w. of Asia, and is often planted in Britain as an ornamental shrub. It has simple leaves, and hairy corymbs of fruit, which have a sort of resemblance to periwigs. The wood dyes yellow ; and, with the addition of other substances, green and brown, and is known in trade by the name of young fustic. It is largely imported into Britain. The bark is sometimes used as a substitute for Peruvian bark. The leaves are astringent, and are used for dyeing Turkey red. The root is also used in dyeing, and the whole plant is used in Italy for tanning, and is there called scotino. The seed resembles the almond in flavor.—The very acid fruit of the ELM-LEAVED SUMACH (R. coriaria)—a native of the countries around the Mediterranean, with pinnate leaves, not unfrequent in British shrubberies—has been used from the earliest times, as it still is by the Turks and Persians, as a condiment with different kinds of food. Both the seeds and the leaves are used medicinally, in the s. of Europe and the e. as tonic and cooling. This species is also extensively used for tanning, particularly in Turkey and in Spain. The leaves and twigs are used for dyeing black, the roots and fruit for dyeing red, and the bark for dyeing yellow.—Similar to this in its properties and uses is the VIRGINIAN SUMACH, or STAG'S-HORN Sumacn (R. typhina), a native of almost all parts of North America, and common in British shrubberies, which has the branches curiously crooked, and covered, when young, with a soft velvety down. It has pinnate leaves, with numer
ous leaflets.—The SMOOTH-LEAVED SU3IACH (R. glabra), a very similar species, also North American, has very acid leaves, which are eaten by children, and are used in domestic t. economy and in medicine on account of the malic acid which they contain. The bloom of the fruit is also very acid. This species is sometimes troublesome in North America, overrunning ground as a weed.—Of the acrid and poisonous species, the most important is the POISON OAK (R. toxicodendron) of North America, a shrub from 1 to 3 ft. high, with leaves of 3 leaflets, and a milky juice, which becomes black on exposure to air. The leaves are used in medicine in cases of paralysis, amaurosis, and other nervous affections, as a stimulant of the nervous system, also in chronic rheumatism and obsti nate eruptions; but are efficacious only when fresh, as the poisonous substance is vola tile. Similar to this in properties are the Poison Ivy, or POISON VINE (R. radicans), the Poison ALDER, POISON SUMACH, or SWAMP SUMACH (R. e'enenata), also known as dog wood, and other North American species, the juice of which is very acrid, and even the emanations are injurious to some persons, who from remaining a short time near these plants, or from handling them, experience swelling of the whole body, with subsequent inflammation of the skin, pustules, and violent itching, while it is remarkable that others appear quite unsusceptible of their influence.—The VARNISH SUMACH or JAPAN VAR NISH TREE (I?. vernicifera), a native of Japan and Nepaul, yields a varnish much used in Japan for lacquer-work. This varnish is the juice which flows from wounds in the tree, and which becomes thick and black by exposure to the air, but is still so transparent that the finest veins of wood varnished with it may be seen through it. It is sometimes mixed with coloring matters, sometimes with gold-leaf finely ground. The expressed oil of the seeds becomes as hard as tallow, and is used for candles.
The name TANNERS' SUMACH is given to coriaria myrtifolia,, a shrub of the s. of Europe, of the natural order ochnaceee. The leaves are astringent, and are used for tan ning, and for dyeing black.
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