: 
Tas. 6678. 
FRAXINUS Magziesii. 
Native of North China. 
Nat. Ord. OLEaAcER.—Tribe Frax1IneEx. 
Genus Fraxrinvs, Linn.; (Benth. et Hook. f. Gen. Pl. vol. ii. p. 676.) 
Fraxinvs (Ornus) Mariesii ; petiolis paniculisque tenuissime puberulis, foliolis 
. 2-jugis lateralibus subsessilibns ovatis obovatis oblongisve acutis obtusis v. 
acuminatis integerrimis v. supra medium serratis utrinque glabris, terminali 
petiolulato obovato v. oblanceolato, paniculis confertis foliis subzquilongis 
ramis gracillimis strictis erecto-patentibus, fl. ¢ calyce minuto, corolla lineari- 
oblonga v. oblanceolata obtusa v. subacuta, staminibus petalis zequilongis. 
The subject of this Plate is a small tree which is likely 
to become a favourite in our parks and ornamental grounds, 
from its profusion of white flowers, in which respect it 
rivals its near ally the Manna Ash of 8. Europe, a tree 
much more rarely cultivated than it should be. The sec- 
tion of “Flowering Ashes’’ to which it belongs are probably, 
with one exception, all hardy, being natives of north 
temperate regions all round the globe, except America east 
of the Rocky Mountains, and are all beautiful trees. Of 
these the best known is the S. European Manna Ash, 
mentioned above, which extends along the Mediterranean 
region from Spain to Turkey. In North India it is replaced 
by the F. floribunda, Wallich, which occurs along the whole 
range of the Himalaya. In N. China this again is replaced 
by F. Bungeana, A. DC., and in S. China, Hongkong, by 
F’. retusa, a species which is probably not hardy; in Japam 
by F. Sieboldiana, Blume, and in California by F’, depetala. 
The absence of any representation in America east of the 
Rocky Mountains, whilst one is present to the west of that 
range, is one of the remarkable exceptions to the well-known 
fact of the Flora of the Hastern United States being more: 
nearly allied to that of N. E. Asia, than is that of the 
Western States. 
MARCH lst, 1883, 
