| African poison ivy | |
|---|---|
| |
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| Sprig in the Pretoria N.B.G., and a close-up view of the compound leaf | |
Scientific classification
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Subfamily: | Anacardioideae |
| Genus: |
Smodingium E.Mey. ex Sond. in Harv. & Sonder (1860) |
| Species: | S. argutum
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| Binomial name | |
| Smodingium argutum | |
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species range
[1]
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Smodingium argutum, the African poison ivy or pain bush, [2] is a southern African shrub or medium-sized tree in the Anacardiaceae, which has properties comparable to the American poison ivy, [3] as its sap contains heptadecyl catechols that are toxic to the skin. [1]
An immuno-chemical reaction is suspected as in other toxic anacardiaceous species. [3] It is monotypic in the genus Smodingium, [3] and was discovered in Pondoland by J. F. Drège during an 1832 expedition with the zoologist Andrew Smith. [3]
Description
It resembles Rhus species in habit and foliage. It is very variable in size, sometimes a woody shrub barely 1–2 feet high, or otherwise a tree of up to 6m. During summer it produces small, creamy green flowers arranged in large sprays. [1] The Greek generic name, meaning "durated mark", [3] alludes to its hard, flattened seeds, which are fitted with papery wings. [1] The margins of the alternately arranged, trifoliolate leaves are toothed, as suggested by its specific name, argutum, which means "sharp". [3] The foliage assumes attractive autumn colours. When damaged the twigs exude a creamy, poisonous sap, which turns black when the catechols contained in it polymerize to a melanin. [3]
Range
It occurs along the Mpumalanga escarpment, the uplands of Eswatini, the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, Pondoland and Transkei, southern Lesotho and the southern Free State. [1]
References
- ^ a b c d e " Smodingium argutum". Slide Collection (Paraclinical Sciences - Pharmacology & Toxicology). University of Pretoria.
- ^ Melissa Petruzzelloa. "7 Dangerous Plants You Should Never Touch". ENCYCLOPÆDIA BRITANNICA.
- ^ a b c d e f g Findlay, G.H. (31 August 1963). "Dermatitis of 'Poison Ivy' type from an indigenous South African plant - Smodingium argutum". S.A. Tydskrif vir Geneeskunde: 883–888.