Fraxinus 90 1 



arboretum of the Experimental Farm. Sargent says that it grows usually on rich 

 limestone hills from southern Michigan to Iowa, central Missouri, and north-eastern 

 Arkansas, and southward to northern Alabama and east Tennessee on the Big 

 Smoky mountains, where it attains a great size. Usually it is from 60 to 70 feet 

 high, with a trunk 2 to 3 feet in diameter ; but Ridgway says that four freshly 

 cut trees, in the Wabash valley in Illinois, were 116 to 124 feet high, with clear 

 trunks 51 to 76 feet long, and 2 to 2\ feet diameter on the stump. Here it was 

 common in rich hilly woods, but I saw none standing of anything like these 

 dimensions. 



The tree was discovered by the elder Michaux in 1795 and introduced 1 by him 

 into France, and his son speaks of the beautiful stocks that were growing in Europe ; 

 but I have seen none of considerable size, the best perhaps in England being 

 a tree at Tortworth, which was 34 feet by 1 foot 10 inches in November 1905, and 

 reported by Lord Ducie to be growing freely. Michaux says that the wood of this 

 species in the western states is extensively used for waggon-building and wheels, 

 and also for flooring houses ; but it does not now seem to be known to English 

 importers. Mr. G. B. Sudworth informs me, however, that this timber is still found 

 in considerable quantity in the Ohio valley, and can be obtained in logs as large as 

 24 to 30 inches in diameter. He adds that for farm tool handles it is preferred to 

 any other ash on account of its superior strength and elasticity. (H. J. E.) 



FRAXINUS AMERICANA, White Ash 



Fraxinus americana, Linnaeus, S/>. PI. 1057 (1753); Loudon, Arb. et Frut. Brit. 1232 (1838); 



Sargent, Silva N. America, vi. 43, tt. 268, 269 (1894), and Trees N. America, 767 (1905). 

 Fraxinus alba, Marshall, Arbust. Am. 51 (1785). 

 Fraxinus acuminata, Lamarck, Diet. ii. 547 (1786). 

 Fraxinus juglandifolia, Lamarck, Diet. ii. 548 (1786). 

 Fraxinus epiptera, Michaux, Fl. Bor. Am. ii. 256 (1803). 



A large tree, attaining in America 120 feet in height and 15 to 20 feet in girth. 

 Bark deeply divided by narrow fissures into broad flattened scaly ridges. Shoots 

 stout, green, glabrous, with white lenticels. Leaflets (Plate 265, Fig. 21), seven 

 to nine, 4 to 6 inches long, distinctly stalked (the petiolules glabrous and \ to \ 

 inch long), lanceolate or oval, rounded or broadly cuneate at the base, acuminate at 

 the apex ; entire, crenulate, or coarsely serrate ; under surface whitish and pubescent 

 along the midrib and nerves, or in some cases throughout. Rachis of the leaf 

 terete and apparently not grooved on the upper side ; but usually a slight groove 

 can be made out on close examination. 



Flowers (section Leptalix) dioecious, in glabrous panicles in the axils of the leaf- 

 scars of the preceding year's shoot ; corolla absent. Fruit in crowded clusters, sur- 

 rounded by the persistent calyx at the base, lanceolate or oblong, with a terete rayed 

 oblong body, much shorter than the terminal wing, which is pointed or emarginate 

 at the apex. 



1 It was introduced, according to Loudon, into England in 1823. 



