The Prickly Ash and the Hop Tree 



its abundant prickles and bitter taste. Its leaves have fewer 

 leaflets than the Southern species, and the flowers are borne in 

 small, sessile clusters in the axils of last year's leaves. 



Fagara flava, Kr. and Urb., is the "satinwood" so much 

 sought for in the West Indies. It once grew on all the Florida 

 Keys, but is now extinct on all but three of them. Its wood has 

 a beautiful satiny lustre when polished, and when fresh sawed has 

 the odour of the true satinwood of the East Indies. 



Fagara Fagara, Small, is a shrubby tree of this genus which 

 is found growing in southern Florida and along the Texas coast. 

 It is known as the wild lime. 



The Hop Tree, or Wafer Ash (Pielea trijoliaia, Linn.) is 

 a pretty, slender tree, widely distributed over this country. 

 From Ontario its range covers the Eastern States from New 

 York to Florida, throughout the Gulf States and north in the 

 forests of the Mississippi Valley into Michigan and Minnesota. A 

 related species, P. angustifolia, found in Mexico, Colorado and 

 California, also occurs in South Carolina and Florida. 



It is interesting to ask why this little tree has been so success- 

 ful in the American forests. We go to the tree for an answer. 

 It chooses to grow in the shadow of taller trees. The seeds are 

 plentiful and vigorous, so bitter no animal eats them, and they 

 are winged for long flight. These are reasons enough for its 

 success in life. Besides, the roots send up suckers. 



Warned of its scattering habits, one hesitates to introduce 

 it into a garden. But look at that one! A neighbour has planted 

 it among the high shrubs that form the background of his fine 

 perennial border. From a little distance the pale green fruit 

 masses against the dark foliage remind one of a hop vine in its 

 midsummer glory, but genuine hops are quite unlike the elm-Iike 

 discs on this hop tree. There is a satiny sheen on the dainty 

 leaves that make us desire a tree of it for the foliage alone. They 

 look like ash leaves reduced to three leaflets, and given an extra 

 polish by way of compensation. Clean and shiny and circular, 

 the seeds are models of form and finish, and in their tropical 

 abundance they remain to adorn the tree even after the leaves 

 fall. There is no question but that a hop tree finds its best setting 

 in a shrubbery border, especially where the surrounding greens 

 need lightening. In such company it is a continual delight. 



Ptelea was the ancient name of the elm its seeds look like 



349 



