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Rhus taitensis; photograph Tauʻolunga, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SATauʻolunga, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rhus taitensis Guill.

Anacardiaceae · Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is. +17

English names not checked: Wikidata's common names were not read for this page.

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Rhus taitensis, photograph David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsRhus taitensis, photograph David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsRhus taitensis, photograph David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsRhus taitensis, photograph David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsRhus taitensis, photograph Steve Fitzgerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsRhus taitensis, photograph Steve Fitzgerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons 12 photographs ›
Habitat figures
Cold floor (1 night in 100)
18.1°C
Record low 15.4 °C in 44 years, at a typical spot in the range NASA POWER
Warmest month, mean daily high
28°C
Jan, Feb and Dec at the habitat CHELSA
Rain a year (median across the range)
3,233mm
12 months of 25 mm or more in the median year CHELSA
Open-sky light
26–40DLI
Lowest to highest month (DLI) CHELSA
The year in the habitat's months, not shifted
  1. Jan
  2. Feb
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May
  6. Jun
  7. Jul
  8. Aug
  9. Sep
  10. Oct
  11. Nov
  12. Dec
Wet summers: the rain comes November to May (the habitat's months, not shifted), read as a summer growing season. rain rule, CHELSA
Not shifted: the shift rule does not apply to this habitat. The chart is in the habitat's months.

Summary

Rhus taitensis is a small tree or shrub in the mango family Anacardiaceae. It is found from tropical Asia, to Australia and many islands of the Pacific Ocean. The chemical tetrahydroxysqualene from dried and ground parts of R. taitensis has in vitro activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis and the plant has been used in folk medicine locally to treat diarrhea and hearing loss.

Quoted from Wikipedia, "Rhus taitensis", CC BY-SA 4.0.

About the genus · Rhus

Sumac or sumach —not to be confused with poison sumac—is any of the roughly 35 species of flowering plants in the genus Rhus of the cashew and mango tree family, Anacardiaceae. However, it is Rhus coriaria that is most commonly used for culinary purposes. Sumac is prized as a spice—especially in Middle Eastern cuisine—and used as a dye and holistic remedy. More on Wikipedia ›

Quoted from Wikipedia, "Sumac", CC BY-SA 4.0.

Cultivation

Seasons

The rain rule reads a summer growing season: 70% of the median year's rain (2,329 mm of 3,051 mm) falls in November to May, warmer than the year (wet-season mean 25.5 °C against a yearly mean of 24.4 °C). Months are the habitat's, southern hemisphere. The habitat lies within 10° of the equator, where the shift rule does not apply, so they are not shifted for a collection elsewhere.

Rain

3,051 mm in the median year at the habitat, 2,329 mm of it November to May. Wettest month January at 471 mm, driest month August at 127 mm. Across the grid cells of the range the year's total runs 1,913 mm to 4,528 mm, the 10th to 90th percentile of each cell's own year. The median of the cells' own yearly totals, 3,233 mm, is the year's rain at the top of the page; the 3,051 mm here is the median year's, the twelve monthly medians added, which the rain rule reads. Habitat calendar, southern hemisphere; median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA.

Light

Open sky over the habitat: 26 to 40 mol/m²/day across the year (daily light integral, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA; the lowest 10th-percentile month across the cells is 23, the highest 90th-percentile month 43).

Warmth and air
Temperature

Coldest: the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range is 18.1 °C, the absolute minimum 15.4 °C, no frost in 44 years (NASA POWER daily minima). Warmest: the 99th-percentile day is 37.7 °C. Monthly means: the coldest month's mean nightly low 20.3 °C in July and August (across the grid cells of the range 15.5 °C to 24.6 °C), the warmest month's mean daily high 27.8 °C in December (median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). Cold floor: 18.1 °C, which is the 1st-percentile night over 44 years at a typical spot in the range (NASA POWER).

Humidity

Relative humidity at the habitat: 65 to 68% across the year (monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range, CHELSA). A figure about the air, saying nothing about how the plant takes water.

How this section is made

Each card states this species' habitat figures with their sources, and what two fixed rules read from them; nothing here says what the plant does, wants or tolerates. The rules · the terms.

Seasons. Read from the median year of CHELSA monthly rainfall and mean temperature across the grid cells of the range: the rain rule takes the smallest set of months carrying 70% of the rain and calls it winter when its mean is more than half a degree below the year's, summer when more than that above, and neither in between; the temperature rule, used only under 120 mm, names the cooler six months when they are at least a degree cooler than the other six. Months are shifted for the other hemisphere only where the temperature curve moves 4 °C or more and the habitat lies 10° or more from the equator. A reading of the curves, not an observation of the plant.

Rain. CHELSA monthly precipitation, median year across the grid cells of the range. The rain that falls where the species is recorded; nothing about how the plant takes water.

Light. CHELSA shortwave radiation at each envelope cell, a daily-mean flux taken to a daily total and converted at 2.07 mol of PAR per MJ. The sky over the habitat, measured; what reaches a plant under a rock, a shrub or a shade cloth is not.

Temperature. NASA POWER daily minima and maxima over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, lapse-corrected -173 m to its elevation; CHELSA monthly means, median year across the grid cells of the range. The cold floor is the 1st-percentile night named in its sentence. Not a measured survival limit for any plant in a pot.

Humidity. CHELSA relative humidity, median year across the grid cells of the range.

Climate across the habitat

Habitat months, southern hemisphere

Habitat climate of Rhus taitensis through the yearWarmest months January, February and December, mean daily high 28 °C; coldest months July and August, mean nightly low 20.3 °C; 3,051 mm of rain in the median year (the twelve monthly medians added). Medians across the range, from CHELSA; the extremes at the edge from NASA POWER. Habitat months, southern hemisphere.10°15°20°25°30°35°40°37.7° 99th-percentile day, NASA POWER15.4° lowest night in 44 years, NASA POWER°C · day and nightcold quarter0200400600800mm rainDLI 26–40RH 65–68%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
day night rain medians and 10th–90th percentile across 132 habitat cells, CHELSA cold quarter: the three months around the coldest month's mean nightly low extremes over 44 years at a typical spot in the range, from NASA POWER, marked at the edge, in no month DLI, mol/m²/dayRH %each on its own scale
Figures by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day °C28 / 26–2928 / 26–2927 / 26–2826 / 25–2826 / 23–2825 / 22–2724 / 21–2724 / 22–2725 / 23–2726 / 24–2827 / 24–2928 / 26–30
Night °C24 / 20–2624 / 20–2624 / 19–2623 / 19–2622 / 18–2521 / 16–2520 / 16–2520 / 16–2521 / 18–2522 / 18–2523 / 19–2524 / 20–25
Rain mm471 / 223–631460 / 228–604393 / 220–573285 / 184–410241 / 99–361146 / 53–297145 / 43–300127 / 39–284143 / 41–341161 / 57–370207 / 117–456272 / 174–516
DLI38 / 32–4036 / 32–3835 / 32–3631 / 29–3428 / 25–3026 / 23–2827 / 23–2931 / 27–3337 / 32–3939 / 34–4340 / 33–4339 / 31–43
RH %67 / 65–7268 / 65–7367 / 64–7367 / 64–7367 / 63–7366 / 62–7365 / 61–7265 / 61–7165 / 61–7265 / 62–7266 / 63–7167 / 64–72
How this section is made
Each figure is the median across the 132 grid cells on land that hold in-range records (190 records in those cells; 7 more cells hold records but no land by the elevation layer, so those records sit at sea and the cells are left out), with the 10th–90th percentile span across those cells after the slash where it differs. A dash is a month one or more of those cells has no figure for in the grid (a variable CHELSA does not carry there), so no median is taken rather than one over fewer cells. Extremes and elevation were read at a typical spot in the range, cell 1985:6546 (-9.275, 147.325). Over 44 years there: absolute minimum 15.4 °C, 1st-percentile night 18.1 °C, 99th-percentile day 37.7 °C. Normals: CHELSA V2.1 1981–2010 climatology, 0.05° cells (each the mean of ~36 1 km pixels). Across the range: median and 10th–90th percentile of each month across the 132 distinct grid cells holding 190 of the 197 in-range records (7 further cells with records at sea, by the elevation layer, left out); extremes and elevation at the typical cell 1985:6546 (its coldest month's mean nightly low nearest the median across cells); its position is the cell centre. Extremes: NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell -9.50_147.500, lapse-corrected -173 m at 6.5 °C/km. Elevation: ETOPO 2022, 284 m (cell mean).

Natural habitat

Native range as published by WCVP; the marker is where the records are densest and decides nothing: the climate was read across the cells of the in-range records placed well enough to read one, not at the marker.
Openly licensed records inside the range, framed on where they fall.

This species has no GBIF key of its own. Its records are GBIF's under the keys of the names Kew's World Checklist holds as this plant: 3660048 (Duckera taitensis (Guill.) F.A.Barkley, 0 records), 3660501 (Rhus taitensis Guill., 856 records), 8120341 (Melanochyla tomentosa Engl., 0 records), 8310817 (Rhus simarubifolia var. taitensis (Guill.) Engl., 2 records). No name was matched to GBIF; the keys are read from Kew's synonymy. How.

NativeJawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Maluku, Philippines, Sulawesi, Bismarck Archipelago, New Guinea, Solomon Is., Queensland, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, Wallis-Futuna Is., Cook Is., Society Is., Caroline Is., Marianas · regions are the level-3 units of the World Geographical Scheme for Recording Plant Distributions, as Kew's World Checklist records ranges, some under historical names such as Yugoslavia or Czechoslovakia (how).
Map marker-7.229, 146.602 · in the densest population, 160 records (34% of those in range)
Kew's description“shrub or tree” · “wet tropical” · quoted from WCVP, RBG Kew (CC BY 4.0); not derived here
Evidence usedThe map marker rests on all 472 georeferenced records inside the native range; the climate across the range on the 190 of them in the land cells it reads, of 197 placed to within 10 km; the map shows only the 436 openly licensed ones, which alone would put the marker in the same place. 82 records outside the WCVP native range not used. 275 in-range records are placed to worse than 10 km, or with no stated accuracy (admitted only as a person's observation to three decimals), and stay on the map but off the climate.
Other GBIF keysRecords also from GBIF's key 3660048 (Duckera taitensis (Guill.) F.A.Barkley): Kew's file holds it as Duckera taitensis (Guill.) F.A.Barkley (synonym under Rhus taitensis Guill.); 0 records, from GBIF's search API on the day of the build.Records also from GBIF's key 3660501 (Rhus taitensis Guill.): Kew's file holds it as Rhus taitensis Guill. (accepted); 856 records, from GBIF's download.Records also from GBIF's key 8120341 (Melanochyla tomentosa Engl.): Kew's file holds it as Melanochyla tomentosa Engl. (orthographic under Rhus taitensis Guill.); 0 records, from GBIF's search API on the day of the build.Records also from GBIF's key 8310817 (Rhus simarubifolia var. taitensis (Guill.) Engl.): Kew's file holds it as Rhus simarubifolia var. taitensis (Guill.) Engl. (synonym under Rhus taitensis Guill.); 2 records, from GBIF's download.
How this section is made
The map marker: the openly licensed record nearest the middle of the densest 1° population inside the densest 4° block of the 472 in-range records; it decides nothing. Records outside the native range, living specimens and records marked introduced are not used; which records count.

Photographs

Rhus taitensis, photograph 1did not loadRhus taitensis, photograph 2did not loadRhus taitensis, photograph 3did not loadRhus taitensis, photograph 4did not loadRhus taitensis, photograph 5did not loadRhus taitensis, photograph 6did not load

Photographs: David J. Stang, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (4); Steve Fitzgerald, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (2).

Similar habitat climate The 6 nearest by mean daily high, mean nightly low and rain, month by month. How.

Decalobanthus peltatus Decalobanthus peltatus Merremia Photo: CC BY-SA, Judith HoyleCerbera floribunda Cerbera floribunda Cassowary-plum Photo: CC BY, Neal KelsoGoniocheton arborescens Goniocheton arborescens Mossman Mahogany Photo: CC BY-SA, Steve FitzgeraldFagraea berteroana Fagraea berteroana Cape jitta Photo: CC BY, rainerburkardBolbitis quoyana Bolbitis quoyana Dryopteridaceae Photo: CC BY, Ian CowieLiparis condylobulbon Liparis condylobulbon Orchidaceae Photo: CC BY, Jason

Other Rhus 19 in the reference

Rhus aromatica Rhus aromatica Fragrant sumac Photo: CC BY, Nathan AaronRhus chinensis Rhus chinensis Chinese sumac Photo: CC BY, 大澤風季 ohsawa_FukiRhus copallinum Rhus copallinum Anacardiaceae Photo: CC BY-SA, Magnus ManskeRhus coriaria Rhus coriaria Tanner's sumach Photo: CC BY, Filipi Miranda SoaresRhus glabra Rhus glabra Smooth sumac Photo: CC BY, Dustin SniderRhus hartmanii Rhus hartmanii Anacardiaceae Photo: CC BY-SA, Krzysztof Ziarnek, KenraizRhus integrifolia Rhus integrifolia Lemonade sumac Photo: CC BY, Ryan DonnellyRhus kearneyi Rhus kearneyi Kearney's sumac Photo: CC BY, Trevor Van LoonRhus lentii Rhus lentii Pink-flowering Sumac Photo: CC BY, Sula VanderplankRhus michauxii Rhus michauxii Michaux's sumac Photo: CC BY, Ashwin SrinivasanRhus microphylla Rhus microphylla Desert sumac Photo: CC BY, Ian McFaulRhus ovata Rhus ovata Sugar sumac Photo: CC BY, Ryan Donnelly all 20 ›

Names & registers

Also known as Duckera taitensis; Toxicodendron simarubifolia; Toxicodendron retusum; Rhus simarubifolia var. taitensis; Rhus simarubifolia and 9 more. (WCVP, RBG Kew)

IPNIPOWOWikidataWFOWikipedia

The record

Family
Anacardiaceae
Described by
Guill.
Native to
Jawa, Lesser Sunda Is., Maluku +16
Wild records
472 in range · 436 open

Every figure here is derived from public data by a stated rule and names its source; nothing about this species is written for its page by a person or by AI, apart from the marked, credited quotations. How →

Where this page came from built 2026-10-22
Kew's names (WCVP) kew.names answeredas of 2026-06-04Kew's entry Rhus taitensis Guill. (plant_name_id 2423578), read from Kew's names file
GBIF species record gbif.species not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF synonyms gbif.synonyms not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
GBIF common names gbif.vernacular not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
WCVP native range wcvp.distribution answeredas of 2026-06-04
GBIF occurrence records gbif.occurrences answeredasked 2026-10-22this species has no GBIF key of its own; its records are read under GBIF's keys for the names Kew's file holds as this plant, never by a name matched; GBIF occurrence download https://doi.org/10.15468/dl.hbdw64, of 2026-10-21; 0 records of GBIF's key 3660048, Duckera taitensis (Guill.) F.A.Barkley (Kew's file holds it as Duckera taitensis (Guill.) F.A.Barkley (synonym under Rhus taitensis Guill.)): GBIF occurrence search API; 856 records of GBIF's key 3660501, Rhus taitensis Guill. (Kew's file holds it as Rhus taitensis Guill. (accepted)): the GBIF download; 0 records of GBIF's key 8120341, Melanochyla tomentosa Engl. (Kew's file holds it as Melanochyla tomentosa Engl. (orthographic under Rhus taitensis Guill.)): GBIF occurrence search API; 2 records of GBIF's key 8310817, Rhus simarubifolia var. taitensis (Guill.) Engl. (Kew's file holds it as Rhus simarubifolia var. taitensis (Guill.) Engl. (synonym under Rhus taitensis Guill.)): the GBIF download; 23 records within 1 km of a botanic garden, herbarium or zoo left out (19 at a botanic garden or arboretum, 4 at a zoo; Wikidata's list)
Habitat climate climate answeredasked 2026-10-22
Daily extremes (NASA POWER) climate.extremes answeredasked 2026-10-22NASA POWER (MERRA-2) daily 1981–2024, cell -9.50_147.500, lapse-corrected -173 m at 6.5 °C/km
Wikidata wikidata answeredasked 2026-10-22found by Kew's IPNI identifier 70896-1, POWO 70896-1
Wikipedia wikipedia answeredasked 2026-10-22
iNaturalist photographs, wild inat.photos.wild not asked
iNaturalist photographs, cultivated inat.photos.cultivated not asked
GBIF media gbif.media not askedGBIF's backbone holds no one accepted species of this name, and a name it holds only as another species' synonym is not taken for this one, so GBIF's records were not asked
Wikimedia Commons commons answeredasked 2026-10-22
OpenAlex papers openalex not askednot yet asked for this reference; a later fill takes the papers from OpenAlex's snapshot

Every source is recorded as having answered, reported nothing, refused, failed, not been asked, or answered twice where one answer is taken (“not taken: two items answered”), and, for a source asked when this page was built, when: the figures are as the source held them that day; a source read from a file (Kew's World Checklist, a GBIF download) says "as of" the file's day instead; a row carried from an earlier build of the page names that build instead. Only “nothing to report” is ever shown as an absence. Records came from 40 datasets via GBIF.org; each carries its own licence.

Cultifolio

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