Schinus terebinthifolius
Family: Anacardiaceae
Plant Description: Evergreen shrub or shrubby tree to 3 m. Leaves pinnate, alternate, 9-12 cm long. Leaflets 7, oval, entire, 1-1.5 cm wide, and glabrous. Rachis and young branches reddish. Rachis with narrowly winged margins. Flowers white in a panicle from base of leaf. Fruit reddish.
Plant Trivia: Introduced and escaping invasive plant. The leaves of this plant produce a chemical that inhibits germination and growth of other plants.
Field Identification: Crushed leaves have odor of turpentine; plant is in the same family as poison ivy, and leaf contact may cause dermatitis. Crushed red fruit have a tangy, pepperlike smell.
Occurrence: Occasionally found on sandy soil in Flour Bluff and intermittently in Nueces County
Bloom Period: Fall, Winter
Plant Use: Invasive in Texas, California, and Florida
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