Biology:Rhus coriaria
| Rhus coriaria | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Sapindales |
| Family: | Anacardiaceae |
| Genus: | Rhus |
| Species: | R. coriaria
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| Binomial name | |
| Rhus coriaria | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
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Rhus coriaria, commonly called Sicilian sumac,[3] tanner's sumach,[4] or elm-leaved sumach, is a deciduous shrub to small tree in the cashew family Anacardiaceae. It is native to southern Europe and western Asia.[2] The dried fruits are used as a spice, particularly in combination with other spices in the mixture called za'atar.
Etymology
The word originally comes from Aramaic summāqā 'red', via Arabic, Latin, and French.[5]
Distribution and habitat
Rhus coriaria is native to the Eastern Mediterranean, Crimea, Caucasus and northern Iran, but is now naturalized in most of the Mediterranean Basin as well as Macaronesia.[6]
Cultivation
The plant will grow in any type of soil that is deep and well-drained.[7]
Uses
The fruit has a sour taste; dried and crushed, it is a popular spice in the Middle East.[7] Immature fruits and seeds are also eaten. Mature fruits were also known well before lemons to the Europeans since the times of the ancient Romans, who appreciated its sourness and used it in vinaigrettes like lemons in modern times. It is traditionally used and also clinically investigated for lipid lowering effects.[8]
The leaves and the bark were traditionally used in leather tanning and contain tannic acid.
Dyes of various colours, red, yellow, black, and brown, can be made from different parts of the plant.[7]
Oil extracted from the seeds can be used to make candles.[7]
Images
Cultivated R. coriaria, with olive trees, in Spain
Spice (ground fruit) for sale in Istanbul
Spice, close-up
References
- ↑ Rivers, M.C.; Harvey-Brown, Y. (2020). "Rhus coriaria". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T63485A112727303. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T63485A112727303.en. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/63485/112727303. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Rhus coriaria". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:70477-1.
- ↑ "Rhus coriaria". Natural Resources Conservation Service PLANTS Database. USDA. https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=RHCO14.
- ↑ (xls) BSBI List 2007, Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland, https://bsbi.org/download/3542/, retrieved 2014-10-17
- ↑ Oxford English Dictionary, 3rd edition, September 2019, s.v.
- ↑ "Rhus coriaria". Flora Iberica. http://www.floraiberica.es/floraiberica/texto/pdfs/09_114_01_Rhus.pdf.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 Plants for a Future database accessed August 2010
- ↑ Hajmohammadi, Zahra; Heydari, Mojtaba; Nimrouzi, Majid; Faridi, Pouya; Zibaeenezhad, Mohammad Javad; Omrani, Gholamhossein Ranjbar; Shams, Mesbah (2018). "Rhus coriaria L. Increases serum apolipoprotein-A1 and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels: A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial". Journal of Integrative Medicine 16 (1): 45–50. doi:10.1016/j.joim.2017.12.007. PMID 29397092.
Wikidata ☰ Q159546 entry
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