Schinus
Encyclopedia
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s and tall shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s in the sumac
Sumac
Sumac is any one of approximately 250 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus and related genera, in the family Anacardiaceae. Sumacs grow in subtropical and temperate regions throughout the world, especially in Africa and North America....
family, Anacardiaceae
Anacardiaceae
Anacardiaceae are a family of flowering plants bearing fruits that are drupes and in some cases producing urushiol, an irritant. Anacardiaceae include numerous genera with several of economic importance. Notable plants in this family include cashew , mango, poison ivy, sumac, smoke tree, and marula...
. Members of the genus are commonly known as pepper trees. The Peruvian Pepper Tree (Schinus molle
Schinus molle
Peruvian Pepper is an evergreen tree that grows to 15 meters . It is native to the Peruvian Andes...
) is the source of the spice known as pink peppercorn
Pink peppercorn
Pink peppercorn refers to spice made from dried berries of the shrub Schinus molle. Jars of pink peppercorn may also be labelled "baies roses." They are not from the Brazilian Pepper tree, Schinus terebinthifolius, which has toxic qualities....
s but can become serious invasive species
Invasive species
"Invasive species", or invasive exotics, is a nomenclature term and categorization phrase used for flora and fauna, and for specific restoration-preservation processes in native habitats, with several definitions....
outside their natural habitats. Schinus polygama, although less well known, is also potentially weedy in some areas.
Taxonomy
The generic name is derived from the GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word for Pistacia lentiscus, Σχίνος (schinos), which it resembles.
Over time there has been a fair amount of reclassification within this genus and earlier names may incorrectly continue to be used by those unaware of changes, including in some cases government departments and even textbooks. The name Schinus areira remains widespread, in Australia (the Peppercorn tree) in particular, but is now considered to be a sub-species of Schinus molle
Schinus molle
Peruvian Pepper is an evergreen tree that grows to 15 meters . It is native to the Peruvian Andes...
(var. areira).
Selected species
- Schinus engleriSchinus engleriSchinus engleri is a species of plant in the Anacardiaceae family. It is found in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. It is threatened by habitat loss.Schinus engleri has no common name -Source:* Prado, D. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
Barkley (ArgentinaArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and UruguayUruguayUruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
) - Schinus latifolius (Gillies ex Lindl.) Engl.
- Schinus lentiscifolius Marchand
- Schinus molleSchinus mollePeruvian Pepper is an evergreen tree that grows to 15 meters . It is native to the Peruvian Andes...
L. (=S. huygan) – Peruvian Pepper Tree (Western South AmericaSouth AmericaSouth America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
)- Schinus molle var. areira (L.) DC. (=S. areira)
- Schinus molle var. molle
- Schinus pearceiSchinus pearceiSchinus pearcei is a species of plant in the Anacardiaceae family. It is found in Bolivia, Chile, and Peru.-Source:* González, M. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
Engler (BoliviaBoliviaBolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
, ChileChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, and PeruPeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
) - Schinus polygamus (Cav.) Cabrera (=S. dentata, S. dependens)
- Schinus terebinthifolius RaddiGiuseppe RaddiGiuseppe Raddi was an Italian botanist.-Biography:He was apprenticed to a druggist, but obtained employment in the Museum of Natural History of Florence. Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany, afterward became his protector, and in 1817 sent him to Brazil to study the cryptogams of the country...
– Brazilian Pepper Tree (southeastern BrazilBrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, northern Argentina, and ParaguayParaguayParaguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
)- Schinus terebinthifolius var. acutifolius Engl.
- Schinus terebinthifolius var. pohlianus Engl.
- Schinus terebinthifolius var. raddianus Engl.
- Schinus terebinthifolius var. rhoifolius (Mart.) Engl. (=S. aroiera, S. rhoifolia)
- Schinus terebinthifolius var terebinthifolius
- Schinus venturiSchinus venturiSchinus venturi is a species of plant in the Anacardiaceae family. It is found in Argentina and Bolivia. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Prado, D. 1998. . Downloaded on 23 August 2007....
Barkley (Argentina and Bolivia) - Schinus weinmanniifolius Mart. ex Engl.
Formerly placed here
- Cuscuta myricoides (L.) Druce (as S. myricoides L.)
- Limonia acidissimaLimonia (plant)Limonia acidissima is the only species within the monotypic genus Limonia. It is native in the Indomalaya ecozone to Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and in Indochinese ecoregion east to Java and the Malesia ecoregion...
L. (as S. limonia L.) - Lithraea molleoidesLithraea molleoidesLithraea molleoides Lithraea molleoides Lithraea molleoides (syn. Lithraea molleoides var. lorentziana Lillo, Lithraea ternifolia, Schinus brasiliensis Marchand ex Cabrera, Schinus leucocarpus M., Schinus molleoides (Vell.) Engler, Lithraea aroeirinha Marchand ex Warm...
(Vell.) Engl. (as S. molleoides Vell.) - Zanthoxylum fagaraZanthoxylum fagaraZanthoxylum fagara is a species of flowering plant in the citrus family, Rutaceae that is native to southern Florida and Texas in the United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and South America as far south as Paraguay...
(L.) Sarg. (as S. fagara L.)
External links
- USDA PLANTS National Database
- Tropical Plant Database - Herbal site