evergreen sumac

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• evergreen sumac
• tobacco sumac

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Schmaltzia virens

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Sapindales, it is further categorized into the family Anacardiaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic designation is found within the genus Rhus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant is primarily located within the Southwestern United States, specifically found in the state of Arizona. Its range extends further into the South-Central United States, where it inhabits parts of New Mexico. Additionally, this species can be found growing across various regions of Texas. Moving south, the plant is widely distributed throughout Mexico, including the central territories. Finally, its geographical presence continues through the northeastern regions of Mexico.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Life history

The life history of Rhus virens is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist in its environment through multiple growing seasons. As a long-lived woody shrub or small tree, it follows a life cycle that bypasses the shorter annual or biennial stages, instead establishing a robust perennial framework that supports long-term survival and seasonal regrowth. Its developmental trajectory involves an initial establishment phase followed by years of sustained vegetative growth and periodic reproductive cycles, ensuring its continued presence within its ecological niche.

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

The morphology of Rhus virens is characterized by its growth form as a shrub, exhibiting a robust and perennial structure. It is classified as a woody plant, possessing firm, lignified stems that provide significant structural integrity. Although it possesses a spreading habit, it functions as a self-supporting climber, meaning it does not rely on external structures for support but rather maintains its own upright or sprawling posture through its woody development.

Climber :

self-supporting

Growth form :

shrub

Woodiness :

woody

Physiology

The physiology of Rhus virens is characterized by a standard C3 photosynthetic pathway, which dictates its metabolic processes and carbon fixation mechanisms. As a C3 plant, it utilizes the enzyme Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RuBisCO) to directly fix atmospheric carbon dioxide into a three-carbon compound, primarily 3-phosphoglycerate, during the Calvin cycle. This physiological configuration makes the plant particularly efficient in temperate environments where moisture is relatively available, although it necessitates careful regulation of stomatal conductance to balance carbon uptake with transpiration rates. The metabolic efficiency of this C3 pathway influences the plant's water-use efficiency and its overall growth patterns in response to varying light intensities and ambient temperatures.

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Reproduction

Reproduction in Rhus virens is characterized by the production of specific seed structures that play a critical role in its dispersal and propagation strategies. The seeds produced by this species exhibit a highly consistent physical profile, with no observed variation in weight across the sampled population. Specifically, the seed mass is uniform, maintaining a mean value of 0.02759 g. This consistency is reflected in the recorded maximum and minimum seed mass values, which both strictly equal 0.02759 g. Such precise uniformity in seed mass suggests a stable reproductive output essential for the plant's establishment within its ecological niche.

Seed mass mean:

0.02759 g

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Rhus virens has 2 reported plant parts identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, stem.

Leaf

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Stem

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Chemicals

Rhus virens has 4 reported phytochemicals identified across 2 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Gallic acid, galloylquinic acid, shikimic acid, vanillic acid-O-hexoside.

Gallic acid

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

galloylquinic acid

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

shikimic acid

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

vanillic acid-O-hexoside

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)