210 FLOWERS OF THE ROADSIDES AND HEDGES 



of them. The same tree, or even the same branch, varies in this 

 regard from year to year. The tree is thus unstable in its sexual 

 development. 



The fruit is winged at the extremity, and when it falls the wind 

 carries it to some distance. 



The Ash is largely a clay -loving or limestone -loving plant, and 

 addicted to a cold clay soil. It is abundant, for instance, on liassic and 

 boulder-clay rock soils. 



As a tree, many fungi attack it, e.g. Phytophthora omnivora, 

 Rosellinia ligniaria, Ash canker. It is galled by Phyllocoptes fraxini, 

 Diplosis betularia, Cecidomyia acrophila, C. pavida, and Diplosis fraxi- 

 nella and D. invocata. Other insects live in it, as Eriophyes fraxini, 

 Lucanus ceii'us, Sinodendron cylindric2iin, Rhagium inquisitor, Hyle- 

 sinus crenatus, H. fraxini, H. oleiperda, Vespa crabro, Ckienaspis 

 salicis, Apterococcus fraxini, Zenzera aesculi, Prays curtisellus, Bibio 

 marci, Psyllopsis fraxinicola, P. fraxini, Ps'eudococcus aceris. 



As a food plant, two beetles, Lytha vesicatoria, Anobium pertinax\ 

 Hymenoptera, Tenthredo bipustulata, Allantus tricinctus\ Homoptera, 

 Alurodes dubia; several Heteroptera, Calocoris fulvomaculatus, Lygus 

 cervinus, Ortholytus tenellus, Malacocoris chlorizans, Loxops coccineus, 

 Psallus variabilis, P. lepidus ; Lepidoptera, Calocampa fraxini, Metro- 

 campa margaritaria, feed upon it. 



Fraxinus, Vergil, is the Latin for Ash Tree, and the second Latin 

 name refers to the unsurpassed qualities of the wood. Ash is the 

 modern form of the Old English essc. 



It is called Ache, Aischen, Aishen-tree, Ash, Ash-candles, Ash- 

 chats, Ash-keys, Bird's Tongue, Cats-and-Keys, Cats'-keys, Chats, 

 Culverkeys, Eisch-keys, Esh, Freyn, Ground Ash, Haish, Hertwort, 

 Ketty-keys, Keys, Kite-keys, Locks -and -Keys, Patty Keys, Peter 

 Keys, Shacklers, Urchin Wood Croney. The name Shacklers is given 

 because of the fruit, and to shackle means to rattle. 



As to the name Ash-keys, Turner says: "They are called in 

 Englishe ashe Keyes because they hang in bunches after the manner 

 of keyes ". 



" Break me a bit o' the Esh for his 'ead, lad, out o' the fence." 



In Lincoln, if a man took a newly-cut Esh plant not thicker than 

 his thumb, he might lawfully beat his wife with it. 



Much superstition has centred around this common tree. Ruptures 

 and holes in Ash trees were used by the people to pass children through, 

 especially before sunrise, a supposed beneficial proceeding. It was 



