ASH 



209 

 It is ashen grey, hence 



this becomes rough and furrowed at length, 

 the name. Rounded props occur at the base. 



The flowers are branched and tufted, arising from lateral buds, and 

 are bi- or uni-sexual, and degenerate, without sepals or petals. The 

 bi-sexual flowers stand in the axils of bracts, and consist of 2 stamens, 

 with purple anthers, and a pistil above, with 2 large stigmas on a short 

 style. The female flower resembles these, but the male consists of only 

 2 stamens. The fruit is a strap-like winged ovary (" keys"), tipped by 



ASH (Fraxinus excelsior, L.) 



Photo. A. R. Horwood 



the style, and contains i seed. The flowers appear in April and May. 

 The Ash is a deciduous tree, propagated by seeds. 



The stigma ripens first, two to four days before the anthers, and the 

 latter open on the inner side. The flowers are small, but, being closely 

 placed, are conspicuous. Honey is secreted at the base of the corolla- 

 tube. The tree is wind-pollinated. The flowers are in bloom early, 

 before the leaves. In this way the pollen can be readily borne away 

 without being impeded by the foliage. The flowers vary in the sexual 

 characters considerably. Some are hermaphrodite or complete. In 

 some there are only rudimentary stamens, in others only a rudimentary 

 pistil, and all stages occur between these conditions and combinations 



