Rhus microphylla Engelm.

littleleaf sumac
desert sumac
scrub sumac
small-leaf sumac

More info for the term: cover

Bottomland habitat containing littleleaf sumac had higher densities of
white-tailed deer than other community types in the Rolling Plains of
Texas [12]. Littleaf sumac was used for cover in both undisturbed and
chained areas, although more deer were seen in undisturbed areas.

More info for the terms: drupe, fruit, shrub

Littleleaf sumac is a deciduous, perennial shrub reaching heights up to
15 feet (4.5 m) [38]. The branches are crooked, stiff, and intricately
branched; the twigs are spinescent. The bark is dark grey to black,
smooth when young but becoming scaly with age. Littleleaf sumac leaves
are 0.5 to 1.5 inches (1-4 cm) long and pinnately compound with five to
nine leaflets. The leaves are a dull green and hairy. Greenish-white
flowers occur in dense compound spikes; the hairy, red-orange fruit is a
0.25 inch (0.5 cm) long drupe [38].

Littleleaf sumac occurs in dry desert foothills from southwestern
Oklahoma and western Texas to southern Arizona and northern Mexico
[10,13,20,31].

More info for the terms: fire regime, seed

Most species of sumac are very tolerant of fire due to a capacity for
sprouting [4,39]. Littleleaf sumac is considered tolerant of fire,
although no research has documented its sprouting ability [39,41].
Seeds of smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) have been shown to be fire adapted,
germinating at an increased rate after fire scarifies the seedcoat
[26]. Other sumacs are known to have seed stored in the soil for
decades, allowing regeneration after fire [30]. Littleleaf sumac may
have these same characteristics.

FIRE REGIMES :
Find fire regime information for the plant communities in which this
species may occur by entering the species name in the FEIS home page under
"Find FIRE REGIMES".

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More info for the term: phanerophyte

Phanerophyte

Littleleaf sumac occurs on sandstone, limestone, and granitic parent
materials [35]. It occurs in washes, canyons, and arroyos, and on
mesas, desert flats, and foothills in semidesert grasslands and desert
scrub [6,13,23,31]. Temperatures in these areas range from below
freezing to over 100 degrees F (0-40 degrees C), and precipitation
ranges from 3 to 16 inches (76-406 mm) annually [7,21,35]. The
elevational range of littleleaf sumac is generally 3,000 to 6,500 feet
(1,000-2,000 m), but it can range as low as 1,000 feet (300 m) in Texas
[5,7,23,31,35,38].

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This species is known to occur in association with the following cover types (as classified by the Society of American Foresters):

68 Mesquite
242 Mesquite

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This species is known to occur in the following ecosystem types (as named by the U.S. Forest Service in their Forest and Range Ecosystem [FRES] Type classification):

More info for the term: shrub

FRES30 Desert shrub
FRES32 Texas savanna
FRES33 Southwestern shrubsteppe
FRES34 Chaparral - mountain shrub
FRES35 Pinyon - juniper
FRES38 Plains grasslands
FRES40 Desert grasslands

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This species is known to occur in association with the following plant community types (as classified by Küchler 1964):

More info for the terms: shrub, woodland

K023 Juniper - pinyon woodland
K027 Mesquite bosque
K031 Oak - juniper woodlands
K044 Creosote bush - tarbush
K045 Ceniza shrub
K054 Grama - tobosa prairie
K058 Grama - tobosa shrubsteppe
K059 Trans-Pecos shrub savanna
K060 Mesquite savanna
K061 Mesquite - acacia savanna
K062 Mesquite - live oak savanna
K085 Mesquite - buffalograss

Sumacs are rarely killed by fire [4]. Fire top-kills littleleaf sumac,
but the plant persists by sprouting [4]. Seeds in the soil may be
scarified by fire, increasing germination rates [26,30].

More info for the term: fruit

Littleleaf sumac is eaten by cattle, sheep, and goats [1,17] but is
considered poor quality livestock browse [38]. Mule deer and pronghorn
browse littleleaf sumac leaves in Texas and New Mexico [8,9,38].
Various birds and small mammals eat the fruit [13,31].

Littleleaf sumac is not a dominant species or indicator plant in any
published classification scheme. It commonly occurs in desert
grasslands with such species as black grama (Bouteloua eriopoda) and
tobosa (Hilaria mutica), and in desert shrublands dominated by species
such as oneseed juniper (Juniperus monosperma) and mesquite (Prosopis
spp.) [6,7]. Common plant associates of littleleaf sumac include
creosotebush (Larrea tridentata), catclaw (Acacia greggii), soaptree
yucca (Yucca elata), side-oats grama (B. curtipendula), and bush muhly
(Muhlenbergia porteri) [7,10,18].

More info for the term: shrub

Shrub

Littleleaf sumac is killed by tebuthiuron, 2,4-D, and 2,4,5-T [15].

Littleleaf sumac contains approximately 15 percent protein [17].
Considerable weight loss occurred when captive kangaroo rats were given
a restricted diet of littleleaf sumac seeds [11].

AZ CO NM TX OK MEXICO

More info for the term: fruit

The fruit of littleleaf sumac is edible but has a sour taste [38].

More info for the term: fruit

Littleleaf sumac palatability is considered low [13], although the
leaves are eaten to some extent by deer, pronghorn, and livestock
[1,9,17,31]. Ground squirrels, chipmunks, quail, and various other
birds and rodents eat the fruit [11,38].

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More info for the term: fruit

Littleleaf sumac flowers between March and May [23]. The flowers appear
prior to leaf emergence [38]. The fruit ripens from July to August
[20].

Littleleaf sumac reportedly sprouts vigorously after fire [39,41],
although no research has documented this response. Skunkbush sumac
(Rhus trilobata) sprouts after fire and completely recovers in 10 to 15
years [40]. Many other sumacs sprout from the roots or rhizomes after
fire [4,26,39].

Littleleaf sumac may also have seeds stored in the soil which germinate
at an increased rate following fire, as is the case for other sumacs
[25,26].

More info for the term: shrub

Tall shrub, adventitious-bud root crown

More info for the term: seed

Littleleaf sumac reproduces both sexually and vegetatively.

Seeds of all sumacs (Rhus spp.) have a hard seedcoat and germinate
poorly without pretreatment [3,38]. Sumac seed dispersal is almost
entirely by birds and other animals [3]. Dry seeds remain viable for 10
to 20 years in open storage [34].

Littleleaf sumac reproduces vegetatively by sprouting after disturbances
[42]. All sumacs can be propagated from root cuttings [38].

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This species can be found in the following regions of the western United States (according to the Bureau of Land Management classification of Physiographic Regions of the western United States):

7 Lower Basin and Range
12 Colorado Plateau
13 Rocky Mountain Piedmont

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More info for the terms: climax, shrubs

The successional status of littleleaf sumac is not documented. It
occurs in semidesert grasslands that have been invaded by shrubs such as
mesquite and juniper. Littleleaf sumac apparently occurs in both seral
and climax communities [6]. Redberry juniper (Juniperus pinchotii) may
create a microclimate conducive to the establishment of littleleaf sumac
seedlings [29].

Schmaltzia microphylla

The currently accepted scientific name of little leaf sumac is Rhus microphylla Engelm. ex
Gray [22].

More info for the term: cover

Littleleaf sumac has some potential for use in soil stabilization
projects [37]. In New Mexico it increased in cover in the absence of
grazing, effectively reducing gully erosion [18].