OF Ohio 



101 



BLACK ASH 



Fraxinus nigra, Marshall 



THE Black Ash is a tree of the swamps or other moist 

 places. The early settlers called it Hoop Ash and the 

 Indians called it Basket Ash. 



The leaves are opposite, 10 to 14 inches long, compound, 

 with 7 to 1 1 leaflets. The leaflets are 3 to 5 inches long, 

 finely toothed along mar- 

 gin, all are stalkless except 

 the terminal one. 



The flowers are similar 

 to those of White Ash. 



The fruit is a winged 

 seed similar to that of 

 White Ash, but is broader 

 winged, notched at apex, 

 and the wing completely 

 surrounds flattened seed. 



The bark is thin, gray- 

 ish, very shallowly fur- 

 rowed, peels off in pow- 

 dery to corky fine scales. 

 The twigs are smooth, 

 stout, light-gray. The 

 buds are opposite, black, 

 sharp-pointed. bla^k ash 



r-^. , . OBS-feurth natural siie. 



1 he wood is soft, 

 to moderately hard; rather 

 coarse-grained, with white 

 sapwood and dark brown heartwood 

 hoops, furniture, interior finishings. 



It is used for baskets. 



The Black Ash is found from Newfoundland to Mani- 

 toba, south to Virginia and Arkansas. It is common in 

 northern and southwestern Ohio, becoming rare in the south- 

 eastern part. This tree, which usually has a slender stem, 

 may reach a height of 60 to 80 feet. 



The only other ash tree found in Ohio with black buds 

 is the European Ash — Fraxinus excelsior, Linnaeus. Its 

 buds are larger, jet black and decidedly round pointed. The 

 leaves are not so large as those of the Black Ash and the 

 leaflets are usually stalked. 



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