Handbook of Trejjs of the North erx Stati:s and Canada. 21)9 



The Prickly Ash is a small tree rarely at- 

 taining the height of 40 or 50 ft. with trunk 

 12-18 in. ill diameter, hut usually is much 

 smaller and often shrubby. Its tendency when 

 isolated is to develop a broad rounded top of 

 many spiny hranclics, and its peculiar bluish 

 gray bark of trunk is sure to attract attention. 

 This is smooth and studded with scattered 

 harnaclc like c(irky bosscss, each tipped with 

 a thick sharp spine which, however, finally 

 falls away. A fancied resemblance in these 

 spiked trunks to the club of Hercules has sug- 

 gested its specific name, and the hooked spines 

 of its branches have given it its apt collo- 

 quial names " ^Yait■a■bit " and " Tcar-blanket," 

 while its pungent bark has given it the name 

 " Sting-tongue " among the southern negroes. 

 This property, too, as a source of relief in 

 tooth-ache has caused it to be known as 

 Tooth-ache tree. 



Its wood is light, a cu. ft. when absolutely 

 dry weighing 31.51 lbs., soft, close-grained and 

 of little value. Its bark, however, is highly 

 valued among the southern negroes for the 

 medicinal properties mentioned of the genus. 2 



Leaves ."t-15 in. long, tardily dociduous. glabrous, 

 with more or less siiiiiy petioles and '.i-O pairs of 

 ovate-lancoolatp, often falcati'. suhcoriaceoiis leaf- 

 lets, rounded and oliliinie at liase, acute or acumi- 

 nate, shiny al)ove. dull lieneath, crenate-serrato. 

 Flowers appear after the leaves in large terminal 

 compound cymes : sepals minute, persistent : 

 petals oval, greenish, Vs-V^ in. long; stamens .''> 

 with slendor exserted filaments ; pistils ."? or 2, 

 with sessile ovaries and short styles bearing 2- 

 lobed stigmas. Fruit mature in early autumn 

 with oblique-ovoid pitted 1-seeded capsule, the 

 seed after dehiscence hanging outvude. 



Var. Initiciiftiim Gray, is a shrubby form in 

 western Texas with short often .'{-foliate pubescent 

 leaves and blunt coriaceous leaflets.' 



1. Syn. Fai/ara Claia-lUrcuUs (L.) Small. 



2. A. W., V, 106. 



3. For genus sec \\. -44.".. 



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