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Glite Dictionary
genus Rhus

genus Rhus

9.0
A group of shrubs and small trees called sumacs that grow in mild and warm regions, mostly not poisonous
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒɛnəs ruːs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : género Rhus
  • The genus Rhus includes many species commonly known as sumacs.

Examples

  • Most members of the genus Rhus are not poisonous, unlike those in the genus Toxicodendron.

  • Many plants in the genus Rhus are used for medicinal purposes.

  • Botanists have classified smooth sumac as part of the genus Rhus.

  • The genus Rhus includes several species of sumacs.

  • Botanists have classified smooth sumac as part of the genus Rhus.

  • Most members of the genus Rhus are not poisonous, unlike those in the genus Toxicodendron.

  • The genus Rhus includes many species commonly known as sumacs.

Synonyms

Rhus
vsgenus Rhus
  • Specialized
9.9

Shrubs and small trees with leaves that often turn bright red in autumn

is the formal term that explicitly indicates the taxonomic rank

Surface Forms

genus Rhus singular
genera Rhus plural

Morphology

genus + Rhus

The phrase simply names a taxonomic group: 'genus' (a biological rank) combined with the taxon name 'Rhus' (sumacs). A B1 learner who knows both constituents can directly infer it refers to the genus comprising Rhus species, and this genus+name construction is a standard, cross-linguistic biological naming pattern.

Etymology

Genus Rhus comes from simple plant naming: genus means a 'group of related plants' and Rhus was the old name for 'sumac'. So genus Rhus names the group of sumac shrubs and small trees, not their poisonous relatives.