Zanthoxylum americanum | |
---|---|
Zanthoxylum americanum at the Real Jardín Botánico de Madrid | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Sapindales |
Family: | Rutaceae |
Genus: | Zanthoxylum |
Species: | Z. americanum
|
Binomial name | |
Zanthoxylum americanum | |
Natural range | |
Synonyms | |
|
Zanthoxylum americanum, the common prickly-ash, common pricklyash, common prickly ash or northern prickly-ash (also sometimes called toothache tree, yellow wood, or suterberry), is an aromatic shrub or small tree native to central and eastern portions of the United States and Canada. It is the northernmost New World species in the citrus family, Rutaceae, and is the type species in its genus, which includes sichuan pepper.[2] It can grow to 10 meters (33 ft) tall with a diameter at breast height (DBH) of 15 cm (5.9 in).[3] It produces membranous leaflets and axillary flower clusters.[3] The wood is not commercially valuable, but oil extracts from the bark have been used in traditional and alternative medicine, and have been studied for antifungal and cytotoxic properties.[3] The genus name is sometimes spelled Xanthoxylum.