genus Rhus, Rhus - deciduous or evergreen shrubs and shrubby trees of temperate and subtropical North America, South Africa, eastern Asia and northeastern Australia; usually limited to nonpoisonous sumacs (see genus Toxicodendron)

sumac - wood of a sumac

fragrant sumac, lemon sumac, Rhus aromatica - sweet-scented sumac of eastern America having ternate leaves and yellowish-green flowers in spikes resembling catkins followed by red hairy fruits

Rhus glabra, scarlet sumac, smooth sumac, vinegar tree - common nonpoisonous shrub of eastern North America with waxy compound leaves and green paniculate flowers followed by red berries

black sumac, dwarf sumac, mountain sumac, Rhus copallina, shining sumac - common nonpoisonous shrub of eastern North America with compound leaves and green paniculate flowers followed by red berries

Rhus ovata, sugar sumac, sugar-bush - evergreen shrub of southeastern United States with spikes of reddish-yellow flowers and glandular hairy fruits

Rhus typhina, staghorn sumac, velvet sumac, vinegar tree, Virginian sumac - deciduous shrubby tree or eastern North America with compound leaves that turn brilliant red in fall and dense panicles of greenish yellow flowers followed by crimson acidic berries

Rhus trilobata, skunkbush, squaw-bush, squawbush - deciduous shrub of California with unpleasantly scented usually trifoliate leaves and edible fruit

bush, shrub - a low woody perennial plant usually having several major branches