JIandbook of Tukks of 



Ca.xai 



389 



Tliis iiitorcstiiii,' nnd r.itli.T iiiicMiniiion Asli 

 occasioiiiilly iittauis the hri.uht of 1-^0 ft. or 

 more, willi trunk :! or 4 It. in dianietor in 

 the forests of tin- rir'i v.illt'V.s of southern 

 Indiana and Jllinois. Imt elsewhere doas nat 

 often surpass 7.') ft. in iici^i'.it or 2Vj ft. in 

 (lianicter of trunk. It-, |.c:uli;ir scaly l)ark i^ 

 a feature wliieli at once (li>t inf,Miislies it in t'lc 

 eye of the woodman, and on very old trunks is 

 e-pi'eially intel■^-^tiIlJ,^ t!ie lon.u loose phites 

 ^ixini;- it an even more s'.aggy ajip-'aranee than 

 those of the Shag-hark Hickory. 



It inhabits mostly dry lime t;)ne ridg'S and 

 uplands, in comi)any with the White Ash, 

 Te.v.as, Chinquapin and other Oaks, Woolly 

 ]Uimelia, Red-bud. various Hickories, et3., and 

 is ofcasionally four.d in tl;e more moist bottom- 

 lands. It is called the I'.lue Ash on account of 

 a l)hie dye which may he made hy mascerating 

 the inner bark in water. The 4-angled nature 

 of the twigs constitute a character by wdiich 

 it may be easily recognized. 



The wood is heavy, a cubic foot, wlien al)so- 

 lutely dry, weighing 44.77 lbs., rather hard and 

 strong and is used in the manufacture of floor- 

 ing, agricultural implements, etc.i 



Leaves 8-12 in. long with 7-9 ovato-ol)long to 

 lanceolate sliort-petiolulate Icafiots .S-.") in. long, un- 

 equally rounded or ol)tuse at base, long-acumi- 

 nate; "closely serrate, tomentose at first but at 

 maturity glabrous, dark yellow green above, paler 

 and glabrous or hairy-tufted in the axils of the 

 veins beneath. Floirris perfect, in loose panicles ; 

 calv.x almost obsolete: corolla none; stamens 2 

 with dark purple oblong anther-cells. Fruit 

 linear-oblong, 1-2 in. Ion;, winged all around, 

 parallel-veined and the body extending more than 

 half way to the einargiiiaie apex. 



1. A. W.. XI, 26.3. 



