PLANT: ill-scented. FRUITS: sparsely pubescent. NOTES: See also parent taxon. Wide-ranging both ecologically and geographically from rim rock, rocky ledges and slopes to canyon bottoms in the deserts, grasslands, chaparral, Madrean woodlands, pinyonjuniper woodlands, ponderosa pine forests, and riparian zones: all AZ cos.; 500-2275 m (1500-7500 ft); Mar-May; w U.S. Material from the w U.S. including AZ has been recognized as Rhus aromatica Aiton var. trilobata (Nutt.) A. Gray, differing in its sparsely pubescent fruits from typical R. aromatica of the e U.S. with villous fruits (Fernald 1941); also, R. aromatica var. trilobata is ill-scented whereas R. aromatica of the e U.S. has a pleasant citrus scent (David Hammond pers. comm.). Several other varieties of Rhus aromatica have been named (based on characters such as leaf size, lobing, and pubescence, and time of flowering) that would occur in AZ (Barkley 1937). Since there are no consistent geographic patterns to the variation in these characters, Rhus aromatica are best treated as a polymorphic species consisting of only the two varieties (e U.S. and w U.S.). REFERENCES: John L. Anderson, 2006, Vascular Plants of Arizona: Anacardiaceae. CANOTIA 3 (2): 13-22.