Handbook of Trees of the NoRTHr:RN States and Canada. 303 



The Ailantlms is a handsonip naturalized tret 

 sometimes attaining, in its native land, the 

 height of 80 or 100 ft. with ratlier loose open top 

 and trunk 2 to 3 or more feet in thickness. Its 

 large plume-like leaves are familiar objects in the 

 door-yards and parks of many of our eastern 

 towns, giviiii,' a ti()|iic;il a]iii(Mrance scarcely 

 equaled by any otlier tree of like liardiness. 

 Nor is its ornamental value in late summer 

 often surpassed by any otlier tree, wlien its 

 frond-like foliage is interspersed with large 

 bunches of brilliantly colored fruit. It is par- 

 ticularly well adapted to planting for shade 

 and ornamental purposes, being a hardy tro* 

 of very rapid growth and little afTected by the 

 dust and smoke of cities. For this purpose, 

 however, only the pistillate trees should be 

 used as tliey are of greater ornamental value 

 and their flowers are free from the objection- 

 able ordor foimd with the staniinate flowers. 

 Those to most people are ill-scented and their 

 pollen is said to aggravate catarrhal troubles. 



The native habitat of the Ailanthus is China 

 and Japan, where an excellent quality of silk 

 is made from a worm which lives upon its 

 foliage. It is widely naturalized in eastern 

 United States. 



The wood is of medium hardness and of 

 coarse open grain. i 



Leaves 12-.'i6 in. long, with l.''.-41 stalked leaf- 

 lets which are from ovate to lanceolate obloni;. 

 2-4 in. long, rounded or suhcordate at base, acuini- 

 nato. entire hut with .">-4 glandular tei-th at h.isc. 

 FloH-ern (.Tune) yiMlowish-Kn'i'n. in panicles oflr.i 

 1 ft. or more in Icnu'th : stamens villous at basr. 

 Fruit samaras about H- iu- loQs, spirally twisted. - 



1. A. W., I, 4. 



2. For genus see p. 444. 



