''Metopium'' or poisonwood is a genus of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...
s in the
sumac
Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of about 35 species of flowering plants in the genus ''Rhus'' and related genera in the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, including Ea ...
family,
Anacardiaceae
The Anacardiaceae, commonly known as the cashew family or sumac family, are a family of flowering plants, including about 83 genera with about 860 known species. Members of the Anacardiaceae bear fruits that are drupes and in some cases produce ...
.
They are
dioecious
Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproducti ...
trees with poisonous sap that can induce
contact dermatitis
Contact dermatitis is a type of acute or chronic inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to chemical or physical agents. Symptoms of contact dermatitis can include itchy or dry skin, a red rash, bumps, blisters, or swelling. These rashes ar ...
.
Taxonomy
Species
, ''Plants of the World online'' has 4 accepted species:
*''
Metopium brownei
''Metopium brownei'' (also known as chechem, chechen, or black poisonwood) is a species of plant in the family Anacardiaceae.
Distribution and habitat
It is found in Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic and Haiti), Cuba, Jamaica, northern Guatema ...
''
(Jacq.) Urb. — black poisonwood
*''
Metopium gentlei''
*''
Metopium toxiferum''
(L.) Krug & Urb. — Florida poisonwood
*''
Metopium venosum''
(Griseb.) Engl. — Cuban poisonwood
References
External links
Anacardiaceae
Anacardiaceae genera
Dioecious plants
{{Anacardiaceae-stub