"Ron Hardin" wrote in message
...
I saw one of these years ago, and now today here's another and I have
a camera with me

http://home.att.net/~rhhardin5/w47.jpg
http://home.att.net/~rhhardin5/w47a.jpg

Tree, smooth grey trunk, about 15 feet tall, with apparently poison ivy
leaves.

What is it?

Box elder, _Acer negundo_. It is a species of maple that has leaves
divided into leaflets [commonly not just three leaflets, leaves
with 5 or more may occur]. It's non-toxic as far as I know.
http://www.clemson.edu/extfor/public...er_negundo.htm
http://www.meemelink.com/prints%20pa...%20negundo.htm
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/pla...es/eb38-12.jpg

There do in fact exist trees or tall shrubs that are relatives of
poison ivy, but they don't look too much like box elder:
http://www.aces.edu/counties/Tallapo...ison-sumac.htm
http://ohioline.osu.edu/b700/b700_52.html

cheers