Toxicodendron rydbergii

Toxicodendron rydbergii
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Rosids
Order:	Sapindales
Family:	Anacardiaceae
Genus:	Toxicodendron
Species:	T. rydbergii
Binomial name
Toxicodendron rydbergii (Small ex Rydb.) Greene
Synonyms[1]
Rhus rydbergii Small ex Rydb. Rhus radicans var. rydbergii (Small ex Rydb.) Rehder Rhus toxicodendron var. rydbergii (Small ex Rydb.) Garrett Toxicodendron radicans subsp. rydbergii (Small ex Rydb.) Á. Löve & D. Löve Toxicodendron radicans var. rydbergii (Small ex Rydb.) Erskine

Toxicodendron rydbergii the western poison ivy,^[2] is a species of Toxicodendron in the cashew family. It is native to most of Canada from the Maritimes to British Columbia, and most of the contiguous United States except the southeastern states, New Jersey, Delaware, and California.^[3] It can be found growing in forests, and other wooded areas, usually near streams and rivers.^[4]

Unlike Toxicodendron radicans (eastern poison ivy), which often appears as a trailing or climbing vine, Toxicodendron rydbergii is a shrub that can grow to 1 m (3 ft) tall, rarely up to 3 m (10 ft). The leaves are trifoliate and alternate. The leaflets are variable in size and shape, and are usually 15 cm (6 in) long, turning yellow or orange in autumn. On the compound trifoliate leaves, the two leaflets opposite each other are typically asymmetrical, in contrast to the terminal leaflet which always shows bilateral symmetry. The fruits are small, round, and yellowish.^[4][5]

Caution

All parts of this plant contain urushiol, which can cause severe dermatitis in most individuals.

References