230 OLEACE^E. 



var. 2. maritima Pursh : leaves obovate-lanceolate, membranaceous, pu- 

 bescent ; panicles very loose ; drupe elliptic. 



Var. 1, on mountains ; var. 2, on the sea coast. Penn. to Car. May, June. 

 A small tree, 6 10 feet high, with opposite branches. Flowers white, in pen- 

 dulous panicles. Drupe purple. The corolla is sometimes 5 or 6-cleft. 



Snowdrop Tree. Fringe Tree. 



3. FRAXINUS. Linn. Ash. 



(Supposed to be derived from the Greek <j>pafa, a hedge ; in allusion to the use 

 sometimes made of it.) 



Flowers polygamous or dioecious. Calyx small, 4-cleft or 

 none. Corolla none or 4-petalled ; the petals cohering at the 

 base in pairs, oblong or linear. Stamens 2. Stigma 2-eleft. 

 Samara 2 -celled, compressed, winged at the apex, by abortion 

 1 -seeded. Seeds pendulous, compressed. 



* Flowers naked. 



1. F. sambucifolia Lam.: leaves pinnate; leafets in 4 5 pairs, sessile, 

 ovate-lanceolate, somewhat rounded and unequal at the base, acuminate, 

 serrate, smooth above, somewhat villous on the veins beneath; samara 

 elliptic-oblong, obtuse at both ends. 



River banks and swamps. Can. to Virg. W. to Miss. April. A tree 30 40 

 feet high; the young branches smooth, sprinkled with black dots; buds blue. 

 Leafets rugose and shining above, with a somewhat villous tuft at the base of 

 the midrib beneath. Samara broadish, of nearly uniform width. The wood is 

 less valuable than that of either of the following species. 



Black Ash. Water Ash. 



** Flowers caly culate, apetalous. 



2. F. Americana Linn. : leaves pinnate ; leafets in 3 4 pairs, on short 

 petioles, elliptic-ovate, acuminate, entire or slightly serrate, glaucous be- 

 neath ; petioles and branches terete ; samara linear-oblong, obtuse, nar- 

 rower at the base. F. acuminata Lam. F. discolor MM. 



Woods. Can. to Geor. and Louis. May. A large tree 5060 feet high ; the 

 bark light-gray; the young branches smooth and marked with white dots. 

 Leaves at first downy, but finally almost smooth and green above, pubescent and 

 glaucous beneath. Flowers mostly triandrous, in loose compound axillary pan- 

 icles. Petals none. The wood of this tree is highly valuable, being much used, 

 on account of its toughness and elasticity, by wheelwrights, coach-makers, &c. 



White Ash. 



3. F. pubescens Walt. : leaves pinnate ; leafets in 3 4 pairs, on short 

 petioles, lanceolate or elliptic-lanceolate, long acuminate, remotely serrate ; 

 petioles and young branches tomentose ; samara smooth, narrow-lanceo- 

 late, obtuse, mucronate. F. tomentosa Mich. 



Moist woods. Can. to Car. April, May. A tree 30 to 40 feet high, with 

 f lender branches. Leafets narrower, longer, more acuminate and pubescent than 

 in the preceding. This tree is generally smaller than F. Americana, but its wood 

 is used for the same purposes. Red Ash. 



4. F. juglandifolia Lam.: branches smooth ; leaves pinnate: leafets in 

 3 4 pairs, on short petioles, ovate, opaque, serrate, glaucous beneath ; axils of 

 the veins pubescent; samara eun^ate-ianceolate, obtusr. /'. rnn.r.r>inr Muil. 



