Fraxinus 905 



Mr. A. Howard for a plank believed to be of this species, which was imported 

 from Canada, and was cut from a log measuring 56 feet long by 24 inches quarter- 

 girth at the top. It cost ^66 and was cut into twenty-four boards containing 2763 

 feet board measure. (H. J. E.) 



FRAXINUS TEXENSIS, Texan Ash 



Fraxinus texensis, Sargent, Silva N. Amer. vi. 47, t. 270 (1894), and Trees N. Amer. 768 (1905). 

 Fraxinus albicans, Buckley, Proc. Philad. Acad. 1862, p. 4 (in part). 

 Fraxinus americana, Linnaeus, var. texensis, Gray, Syn. Fl. N. Amer. ii. part i. 75 (1878). 

 Fraxinus americana, Linnaeus, var. albicans, Lingelsheim, in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. xl. 219 (1907). 



A small tree, with a short stem, rarely attaining 50 feet in height and 9 feet 

 in girth. Bark dark grey, deeply divided by narrow fissures into broad scaly ridges. 

 Branchlets glabrous. Leaflets, five to seven, often nine in young plants, 2 to 2\ 

 inches long, distinctly stalked, with glabrous petiolules about \ to \ inch long, ovate 

 or oval (the terminal leaflet often obovate), base rounded and unequal, apex acute or 

 rounded (acuminate in young plants), crenate-serrate and non-ciliate in margin ; 

 upper surface shining bluish green, glabrous ; lower surface whitish, usually 

 pubescent on the sides of the midrib and lateral nerves, the latter being forked near 

 the margin ; rachis slender, glabrous, terete, slightly grooved on the upper side. 



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

 leaf-scars of the preceding year ; corolla absent. Fruit, spatulate, with persistent 

 calyx at the base ; body short, terete ; wing terminal, rounded or emarginate 

 at the apex. 



This species, while very close to F. americana in technical characters, is 

 distinct in appearance, and differs in the smaller leaflets, which are shining bluish 

 green, and not dull on the upper surface. 



It was discovered in 1852 by Dr. J. M. Bigelow, and grows on high dry lime- 

 stone bluffs and ridges in northern, central, and western Texas, from near Dallas 

 City to the valley of the Devil's River. 



Young plants are growing in the nursery at Kew, which are thriving, and 

 about 6 to 8 feet in height, after six years' growth. They were raised from seed 

 sent by Mr. Bush in 1901. These plants have usually 7 to 9 leaflets, while 

 specimens in the Kew Herbarium from Texas have only five leaflets ; but this is 

 probably a juvenile character. It is also growing well at Aldenham. 



(A. H.) 



iv 2 c 



