poison ash

9.9

A North American swamp shrub with divided leaves and greenish-white berries that produces oil causing skin rashes

noun

: ceniza venenosa

The hiker unwittingly brushed against poison ash and developed a rash the next day.

Examples

You should learn to identify poison ash before walking in wetland areas.
Botanists warn that poison ash can be mistaken for other harmless swamp plants.
The poison ash tree can be found near wetlands.
Many hikers are unaware of poison ash and its effects.
To avoid a painful rash, it is important to recognize poison ash in wetland areas.
After touching poison ash, she experienced severe skin irritation and discomfort.
The park ranger gave a presentation on the dangers of poison ash and how to stay safe.

Synonyms

poison sumac

vspoison ash

1 8.4

A North American shrub or small tree with white berries and an oil that causes a skin rash

is mainly a smooth swamp shrub rather than sometimes a small tree

Toxicodendron vernix

vspoison ash

Specialized

9.9

A swamp bush with smooth branches and pale berries whose oil causes a skin rash

is the common everyday name rather than the formal scientific term

Rhus vernix

vspoison ash

Specialized

9.9

A shrub also called poison sumac that grows in swamps and makes an oil causing itchy skin rashes

is the common everyday name rather than the older genus term

poison dogwood

vspoison ash

9.9

A North American swamp shrub with greenish flowers and poisonous berries and oily parts that cause skin irritation

is the more usual name for the plant rather than the alternate common name

How Toxic

poison ash

9.9

irritant

15 6.0

Surface Forms

poison ash singular

poison ashes plural

Morphology

poison + ash

The noun phrase is compositionally transparent: 'poison' modifies 'ash' to mean an ash/tree that is poisonous. A B1 learner who knows 'poison' and 'ash' can readily infer it refers to a poisonous tree/shrub (one that produces irritating oil), so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Poison ash may come from a simple image: the shrub looks like a common ash but carries a harmful poison in its oil. That's why people call it poison ash, because touching it can give you a 'rash'.