ASH 275 



Fraxinus excelsior, L. Ash (Fig. 99). Large tree, 

 with black buds, opposite pinnate leaves, and grey bark ; 

 and polygamous, partly entomophilous, and partly ane- 

 mophilous flowers. 



Flowers proterogynous, appearing before the leaves, 

 in crowded axillary compound racemes, or lax or dense, 

 cymose ; appearing purple -black, owing to the masses of 

 deep purple-brown anthers and stigmas. The inflorescences 

 emerge beneath the leaf-buds for the year. Each rami- 

 fication with a small ligulate caducous bract. Male flowers 

 achlamydeous, with 2 stamens, more or less connate below. 

 Pollen mealy, rough, ellipsoid with 3 bands. 



Female flower with a rudimentary perianth (calyx) en- 

 closing a 2-chambered superior ovary, with a style dilated 

 into two thick stigmas above. Hermaphrodite flowers 

 naked, with an ovary and two stamens, also occur. Fruit 

 one-chambered and one-seeded by abortion, pendent on a 

 long stalk, flat, ligulate, prolonged anteriorly into a thin 

 veined wing. 



[The Ash is a member of the Oleacece, and comes near 

 Ligustrum and Syringa, but being achlamydeous this is 

 not evident until other species (e.g. F. Ornus) are examined 

 which have a corolla. The flowers are frequently unisexual 

 and even dioecious, but all forms (polygamous) may occur 

 on one tree.] 



(b) Perianth present, of one series only, coloured or 

 not, but never divisible into a calyx and corolla 

 i.e. monochlamydeous. 



(i) Perianth consisting of 4 separate segments, [For (ii) 

 all alike and petaloid, and each separately 

 inserted on the floral axis below the hypo- 

 gynous stamens and the apocarpous pistil 

 (ThalamiflorEe), 



182 



