FRAXINUS— SYRINGA ill 



Wood brownish-yellow, coarse-grained, hard, brittle, weight 45 lbs. ; 

 used for carriage building and flooring, and probably not distinguished 

 in use from white ash. A blue dye is made from the inner bark. 



Fraxinus nigra Marshall 1785 Water Ash, Black Ash 



Large tree, 40-80 ft. high, 1-3 ft. diam. ; bark gray, with irregular 

 plates separating into thin scales; leaves smooth, of 7-11 leaflets, 2-4 

 dcm. long, leaflets lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, margin wavy-toothed, 

 tip very long-pointed, base tapering or rounded, smooth above, slightly 

 hairy below, especially along the midrib, 7-15 cm. long, 3-5 cm. wide, 

 petioles smooth, 4-6 cm. long; flowers dioecious, calyx lacking; fruit 

 oblong or oblong-spatulate, wing extending around, 2 l / 2 -2> cm. long, 7-8 

 mm. wide ; nigra, black, probably in reference to the color of the wood. 



Frequent or even plentiful throughout the state, except to the south- 

 west ; Newfoundland-Del-Va-Ark-Minn-Manitoba. 



Wood dark brown, coarse-grained, soft, weak, tough, durable in the 

 soil, weight 39 lbs. ; used for baskets, cabinet-making, fences, hoops and 

 interiors. 



Syringa L i n n e 1753 Lilac 

 (Gr. syrinx, tube, of doubtful application) 



Shrubs, with opposite simple entire leaves; flowers in terminal panicles 

 or thyrses, appearing after the leaves, perfect ; sepals 4, united, persistent, 

 petals 4, united into a cylindric salverform tube, stamens 4, on the throat 

 of the corolla ; ovary 2-celled, stigma 2-cleft ; fruit a 2-valved capsule. 



Propagation by seed sown in the spring, by suckers and division, 

 grafting and hardwood cuttings, and in the rarer sorts by greenwood 

 cuttings. Pruning should be done shortly after blooming is over. 



A genus of about 12 species, natives of Asia and eastern Europe. 



Key to the Species 



1. Corolla much longer than calyx 



a. Flower clusters from lateral buds ; terminal 



bud abortive 



( 1 ) Leaves cordate or truncate at base S. vulgaris 



(2) Leaves narrowed toward the base S. persica 



b. Flower clusters usually on terminal leafy 



branches S. villosa 



2. Corolla little longer than calyx S. amurensis 



