Talk:Toxicodendron vernix

Mistaken reference
"According to some botanists, poison sumac is the most toxic plant species in the United States (Frankel, 1991)." I think this is wrong. I've just read the book referred to, and though there's oddly no page number given in the reference above, I think whoever wrote that is mixed up. What's actually written is Asa Gray writing, "He stated that Poison Ivy... 'is the most dangerous species, even the effluvium may affect many people.'" (page 65.)

This error was introduced on 12 October 2006 by an anonymous user 168.223.11.242 https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Toxicodendron_vernix&oldid=81071214 Randal Oulton (talk) 17:35, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

Article states:
"Poison sumac grows exclusively in very wet or flooded soils, usually in swamps and peat bogs, in the eastern United States and Canada."

This is misleading if not inaccurate. I have six plants growing on my property. We get about 32" rain per year on sloping terrain and we aren't in the 100 year flood plain. In summer, it's so hot and dry the soil cracks.

None of the following are necessary conditions for poison sumac to grow: very wet or flooded soil, swamp or bog.

Missleading statement
"In the U.S., it can grow as far west as Wisconsin, where it is found only in the southern part of the state."

It grows in Texas, west of Wisconsin.

I say you guys should burn it! BURN IT ALL!!!! Mzanime 08:07, 9 October 2007 (UTC) YOU CANNOT BURN IT. THE OIL LADEN SMOKE CAN GET INTO YOUR RESPIRATORY SYSTEM AND CAUSE SEVERE INFLAMATION IF YOU ARE SENSITIVE TO IT. WE HAVE TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WILL CAUSE IT AND POISON IVEY AND OAK TO BECOME EXTINCT, LIKE SOME SORT OF INSECT OR CHEMICAL. IT IS THE WORST EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER HAD WITH TOXIC PLANTS AND I AM STILL SUFFERING AFTER THE FULL REGIMEN OF STEROIDS. PAULANTHONY51@AOL.COM —Preceding unsigned comment added by 75.127.243.60 (talk) 15:16, 28 April 2008 (UTC)

Only grows in bogs and swamps?
I've got the stuff in my front yard!

Toxicity
Does anybody have a access to the Frankel (1991) reference so that the statement in this article--According to some botanists, poison sumac is the most toxic plant species in the United States--can be verified? That statement does not strike me as plausible considering lethally toxic, indigenous plants like water hemlock. Perhaps it is an issue of mode of contact--with ingestion being typical in most cases of positioning involving plants versus simple contact with poison sumac. I could see where ingestion of poison sumac could be lethal. If so, some clarification of the statement would be helpful. Pinethicket (talk) 00:15, 25 October 2009 (UTC)

Requested move

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: not moved Malcolmxl5 (talk) 21:00, 9 September 2012 (UTC)

Poison sumac → Toxicodendron vernix – As per WP:FLORA naming guidelines. Fairly OddParents Freak (Fairlyoddparents1234)  15:24, 31 August 2012 (UTC)
 * Oppose per WP:FLORA and WP:UCN. "poison sumac" is a very common term. -- 76.65.128.252 (talk) 02:21, 1 September 2012 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page or in a move review. No further edits should be made to this section.

Genus?!?
So is it Rhus or is it Toxicodendron? The toxicodendron article says that the family is sumac but the genus is toxicodendron, whereas the sumac page says that sumacs are various species of "rhus and related genera". That seems to an ignorant layperson (i.e. me) to violate the taxonomic ranks on the taxonomy page. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.255.170.233 (talk) 05:00, 19 February 2013 (UTC)

The family Anacardiaceae contains the genera toxicodendron (poison ivy, poison sumac, etc.) and rhus (sumac genus), and is referred to as the sumac family. This explains why the sumac page says "rhus and related genera," though the page is misleading and appears to have a number of errors. Poison sumac is a member of the toxicodendron genus. Looks like you posited this question over two years ago, but hopefully this helps. (http://plants.usda.gov/java/ClassificationServlet?source=profile&symbol=Anacardiaceae&display=31) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.151.161.135 (talk) 22:36, 12 May 2015 (UTC)

Add related non-toxic species
Article should contrast similar species that are not toxic, with suitable field markings to distinguish. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 108.49.81.207 (talk) 16:10, 7 September 2013 (UTC)
 * Yes that would be a good idea. Cas Liber (talk · contribs) 21:31, 7 September 2013 (UTC)

"Urushiol is the same chemical (though it happens to be natural)..."
This parenthetical comment unfortunately reinforces a naive misunderstanding of chemical (compounds). How about "...is a mixture of organic compounds..." (see Wikipedia: Urushiol)? 2001:9E8:AE8:4E00:FD1C:DBDF:FF05:C0C5 (talk) 10:11, 29 August 2023 (UTC)