What are some facts about poisonious Sumac?

Question

can you tell me the link you got the info from. its for a school projec and it anit going to well.
plz and thnk u

Answer 1

The bright red color of poison sumac's (Toxicodendron vernix) leaf stems is one of the first things you'd want to look for in the spring to distinguish it from non-poisonous varieties of sumac. In spring you wouldn't have any berries to help you in identification. The sumac that is not poisonous will have fruit growing from the ends of its branches, poisonous sumac has fruit that grows between the leaf and the branch. In addition, the leaves have a brilliant orange or red color in the fall.Here's a picture:
http://landscaping.about.com/od/weedsdiseases/ig/Poison-Sumac-Pictures/Poison-Sumac-Stems.htm

Poison sumac has large alternate leaves usually with 7-13 entire (not toothed) leaflets and a red stem connecting the leaflets. The leaflets are smooth and may be shiny above. It is shrub-like and tends to grow in standing water, in the peat bogs of the northern U.S. and in swampy southern regions of the country.
http://www.healthychild.net/articles/sf40plants.html

It grows along the north shore of Lake Erie, and from Maine to Minnesota, south to Indiana, Ohio, Florida and Texas in swamps.

All parts of the plant are supposed to be poisonous to touch, including the bark. Poison sumac release a white juice when a leaf or stem is broken which turns black on exposure to the air and carries in it the poisonous resin toxicodendrol. That's what causes the skin of a sensitive person to develop allergic symptoms on contact.
A rash may appear as early as a few hours or as late as 2 weeks after exposure, depending on how sensitive a person is to the plant and the number of previous times the person has been exposed to it.
http://www.geocities.com/littleflowers_2000/poison_sumac.html

Small greenish flowers are followed by white fruits, which are technically called drupes. Here's more pictures:
http://www.duke.edu/~cwcook/trees/tove.html

Good Luck! Hope this is helpful.

Answer 2

Try medicinenet.com/poison or webmd.com