OLEACEAE 



Black Ash 



Fraxinus nigra, Marsh. [Fraxinus sambucifolia, Lam.] 



HABIT. A tall tree 60-80 feet high, with a trunk diameter 

 of 1-2 feet; slender, upright branches form in the forest a nar- 

 row crown, in the open a rounded, ovoid crown. 



LEAVES. Opposite, pinnately compound, 12-16 inches long. 

 Leaflets 7~ II > 3~5 inches long, 1-2 inches 'broad; sessile, except 

 the terminal ; oblong to oblong-lanceolate, long-pointed ; remotely, 

 but sharply serrate ; thin and firm ; dark green above, paler be- 

 neath, glabrous. Petioles stout, grooved, glabrous, 



FLOWERS. May, before the leaves; polygamo-dioecious ; 

 borne in loose panicles on shoots of the preceeding season; calyx 

 o; corolla o; stamens 2; ovary 2-celled. 



FRUIT. August-iSeptember, falling early, or sometimes 

 hanging on the tree until the following spring; samaras 1-1^2 

 inches long, in open, paniculate clusters 8-10 inches long. 



WINTER-BUDS. Ovoid, pointed; bud-scales rounded on 

 the back, 3 pairs, almost black. 



BARK. Twigs at first dark green, becoming ashy gray or 

 orange, finally dark gray and warted; thin, soft ash-gray and 

 scaly on the trunk. Bark flakes off on rubbing with the hand. 



WOOD. Heavy, tough, coarse-grained, weak, rather soft, 

 dark brown, with thin, lighter colored sapwood. . 



DISTRIBUTION. Common throughout most portions of 

 Michigan. 



HABITAT. Prefers deep, cold swamps and low river-banks, 

 but grows in any good soil. 



NOTES. Hardy throughout the state. Not easily trans- 

 planted. Foliage falls early in autumn. 

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