Zach's Beetography

Rhus chinensis, Anacardiaceae. Also called the Chinese sumac or nutgall tree. The species is used to produce galls, called Chinese gall, or Wu Bei Zi (五倍子) in Chinese, which are rich in gallotannins, a type of hydrolysable tannins. The gall is caused by Chinese sumac aphids (Melaphis chinensis Bell). I did not see any galls here, so perhaps the aphids are not brought in from China. Shot at Beal Botanical Garden, MSU.