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Rhus coriaria

Common name:	Elm-Leaved Sumach	Family:	Anacardiaceae
Author:	L.	Botanical references:	11, 50, 200
Synonyms:
Known Hazards:	The plant contains toxic substances which can cause severe irritation to some people. Both the sap and the fruit are poisonous[89, 200].
Range:	S. Europe.
Habitat:	Rocky places and waysides[45, 50], mainly on limestone[89].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	3	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Common Names:	From various places around the Web, may not be correct. See below.
	Elm-leaved Sumac [H], Notia [E], Sicilian Sumac [P], Sicilian Sumach [H], Somack [E], Sommak [E], Sumac [E], Sumak [E], Sumak Agaci [E], Sumbaq [E], Tursh [E], Zumaque [E],
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	coriaria = leather like;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Sapindales. Sumac family
Other Range Info:	From the Ethnobotany Database
	Iraq; Kurdistan; Spain; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkistan

Physical Characteristics

A decidious shrub growing to 3m. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees. We rate it 3/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge.

Edible Uses

Condiment; Fruit.

The immature fruits are used as caper substitutes[2, 89, 142, 183]. Some caution is advised, see the notes above on toxicity.
The crushed fruit, mixed with Origanum syriacum, is a principal ingredient of 'Zatar', a popular spice mixture used in the Middle East[183].
The seed is used as an appetizer in a similar manner to mustard[2].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Astringent; Diuretic; Styptic; Tonic.

The leaves and the seeds are astringent, diuretic, styptic and tonic[4, 240]. They are used in the treatment of dysentery, haemoptysis and conjunctivitis[240]. The seeds are eaten before a meal in order to provoke an appetite[4].
Some caution is advised in the use of the leaves and stems of this plant, see the notes above on toxicity.

Other Uses

Dye; Mordant; Oil; Tannin.

The leaves and bark are rich in tannin[4]. The leaves can be collected as they fall in the autumn and used as a brown dye or as a mordant[169]. The fruit and bark are also used[148]. The leaves contain 20 - 35% tannin[171] and yield a yellow dye[89].
The finely ground leaves and stems provide the dyeing and tanning agent 'sumac'[171]. The shoots are cut down annually, near to the root, for this purpose[4]. A fawn colour, bordering on green, is obtained and this can be improved with the judicious use of mordants[4]. The cultivar 'Mesculino' is very rich in tannin, containing up to 35%[46, 61].
An oil is extracted from the seeds[4]. It attains a tallow-like consistency on standing and is used to make candles. These burn brilliantly, though they emit a pungent smoke[4].
A black dye is obtained from the fruit[4, 14].
A yellow and a red dye are obtained from the bark[100].

Cultivation details

Succeeds in a well-drained fertile soil in full sun[11, 200].
This species is not very hardy in Britain and is unlikely to succeed outdoors in any but the mildest parts of the country[11, 200]. Another report says that the plant is quite hardy and is often grown in British gardens[4]. The young growth in spring can be damaged by late frosts.
Unlike most members of this genus, this species is hermaphrodite[200].
The form 'Humilior' from Italy is smaller growing[182].
Plants have brittle branches and these can be broken off in strong winds[200]. Plants are also susceptible to coral spot fungus[11]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200].
Many of the species in this genus, including this one, are highly toxic and can also cause severe irritation to the skin of some people, whilst other species are not poisonous. It is relatively simple to distinguish which is which, the poisonous species have axillary panicles and smooth fruits whilst non-poisonous species have compound terminal panicles and fruits covered with acid crimson hairs[1, 4]. The toxic species are sometimes separated into their own genus, Toxicodendron, by some botanists[200].

Propagation

Seed - best sown in a cold frame as soon as it is ripe. Pre-soak the seed for 24 hours in hot water (starting at a temperature of 80 - 90c and allowing it to cool) prior to sowing in order to leach out any germination inhibitors[200]. The stored seed also needs hot water treatment and can be sown in early spring in a cold frame[200]. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, 10cm with a heel, July/August in a frame[200].
Root cuttings 4cm long taken in December and potted up vertically in a greenhouse. Good percentage[78, 200].
Suckers in late autumn to winter[200].

Cultivars

'Mesculino': This cultivar is very rich in tannin, containing up to 35%[46, 61].

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

Details of Medicinal Uses, Habitats, etc. in M. Grieve A Modern Herbal (1931) [4]
[H] Details of Scandanavian and European Common names in Henriette's names database
[E] Ethnobotany Data (common names, uses, countries) from the Ethnobotany Database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[P] Data. (uses, distribution, wetland) from the USDA'a Plants database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

References for the family Anacardiaceae.

To be included in the Flora of China.

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[2] Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972 ISBN 0-486-20459-6
Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.

[4] Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9
Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[11] Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981
A classic with a wealth of information on the plants, but poor on pictures.

[14] Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs. Rodale Press 1979 ISBN 0-87857-262-7
A good herbal.

[45] Polunin. O. Flowers of Greece and the Balkans. Oxford University Press 1980 ISBN 0-19-217626-9
A good pocket flora, it also lists quite a few plant uses.

[46] Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959
An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.

[50] ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964
An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[61] Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974 ISBN 0094579202
Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.

[78] Sheat. W. G. Propagation of Trees, Shrubs and Conifers. MacMillan and Co 1948
A bit dated but a good book on propagation techniques with specific details for a wide range of plants.

[89] Polunin. O. and Huxley. A. Flowers of the Mediterranean. Hogarth Press 1987 ISBN 0-7012-0784-1
A very readable pocket flora that is well illustrated. Gives some information on plant uses.

[100] Polunin. O. Flowers of Europe - A Field Guide. Oxford University Press 1969 ISBN 0192176218
An excellent and well illustrated pocket guide for those with very large pockets. Also gives some details on plant uses.

[142] Brouk. B. Plants Consumed by Man. Academic Press 1975 ISBN 0-12-136450-x
Readable but not very comprehensive.

[148] Niebuhr. A. D. Herbs of Greece. Herb Society of America. 1970
A pleasant little book about Greek herbs.

[169] Buchanan. R. A Weavers Garden.
Covers all aspects of growing your own clothes, from fibre plants to dyes.

[171] Hill. A. F. Economic Botany. The Maple Press 1952
Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some a bit of detail about the plants it does cover.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[183] Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9
Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[240] Chopra. R. N., Nayar. S. L. and Chopra. I. C. Glossary of Indian Medicinal Plants (Including the Supplement). Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi. 1986
Very terse details of medicinal uses of plants with a wide range of references and details of research into the plants chemistry. Not for the casual reader.

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Bibliography

Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
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