Fraxinus 895 



FRAXINUS CHINENSIS 



Fraxinus chinensis, Roxburgh, Fl. Ind. i. 150, Carey's edition (1820); Hanbury, Science Papers, 

 271, fig. 17 (1876); YLance, Journ. Bot. xxi. 323 (1883) ; Hemsley, Journ. Linn. Soc. {Bot.) 

 xxvi. 85 (1889); Lingelsheim, in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. xl. 216 (1907). 



A small tree. Branchlets glabrous. Leaflets seven to nine, 2 to 4 inches long, 

 coriaceous, shortly cuspidate at the apex, crenately serrate ; terminal leaflet the largest, 

 obovate-oval, and long-stalked ; lateral leaflets oval or elliptic, subsessile or with 

 short pubescent winged stalklets, unequal and broadly rounded or tapering at the 

 base ; dark green and glabrous above ; under surface pale green and pubescent on the 

 sides of the midrib and lateral nerves. Leaf-rachis deeply channelled throughout, 

 with brownish tufts of tomentum on the upper side of the nodes ; base of the 

 rachis of the uppermost two leaves fringed with brown hairs. 



Flowers (section Ornaster) in terminal and lateral glabrous panicles ; calyx 

 4-toothed ; corolla absent. Fruit, about \\ inch long, \ inch wide, oblanceolate, 

 acute or rounded at the apex. 



This species in the wild state is very variable as regards the shape of the leaves, 

 five varieties being distinguished by Lingelsheim. The above description is drawn 

 up from small specimens cultivated at Kew, which were received in 1891 from 

 St. Petersburg under the name F. Bungeana. A distinct variety has been in 

 cultivation at Kew for some years under the erroneous name F. longicuspis, which 

 has five or seven leaflets, obovate- lanceolate or narrow -oblong, 2 to 3^ inches 

 long, about 1 inch wide, cuspidate at the apex, cuneate at the base, indistinctly 

 serrate. It agrees exactly with a dried specimen at Kew, gathered in the Ningpo 

 mountains, where the broad leaflet form also occurs. 



This species is widely spread throughout the central and southern provinces of 

 China, and is noteworthy as being one of the trees on which the wax insect lives. 

 It is very rare in cultivation, the only specimens we have seen being those at Kew 

 and a small shrub at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden. (A. H.) 



FRAXINUS OBOVATA 



Fraxinus obovala, Blume, Mus. Bot. Lugd. Bat. 311 (1850); Franchet et Savatier, Enum. PI. Jap. 



i. 310 (1875). 

 Fraxinus Bungeana, Maximowicz, Mil. Biol. ix. 396 (1873) (not De Candolle) ; Franchet et 



Savatier, Enum. PI. Jap. ii. 434 (1879); Lingelsheim, in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. xl. 214 (1907) 



(in part). 



A small tree. Branchlets glabrous. Leaflets five or seven, 2 to 3 inches long, 

 membranous, terminal one largest and long-stalked ; lower pairs shortly-stalked, 



