Sumac
Sumac, or Sumach, the common name for a genus of trees and shrubs found in temperate and subtropical regions throughout the world. There are about 250 species. Some species, such as the fragrant sumac and staghorn sumac, are cultivated for their colorful autumn foliage. The leaves and stems of several species, notably poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac, cause skin irritation when touched. The leaves of a few species of sumac are an important source of tannin, a chemical used in tanning leather. The varnish, or lacquer, tree of Japan and China is a principal source of lacquer.
Sumacs make up the genus Rhus of the cashew, or sumac, family, Anacardiaceae. The fragrant sumac is R. aromatica ; the staghorn sumac, R. typhina ; the varnish tree, R. verniciflua.