ILWDHOOK 



REK 



S OF THE NORTJIPIRN R] 



AND CaXADA. 38f 



The Rlack 



species, and 



\sli is (iistinetly a northern 

 forests, under most favorable 

 conditions, attains the heif,dit of 80-90 ft., with 

 straif,'ht columnar trunk 3-4 ft. in diameter. 

 When isolated it develops a rounded ovoid top, 

 which may be recognized when leafless by its 

 stout straight branchlets (those of the stami- 

 nate tree being larger than of the pistillate i 

 and the gray scaly bark of trunk. 



It inhabits the low banks of streams and cold 

 swamps, in company with the Arbor-Vita", 

 Balsam, Tamarack, Silver Maple, Black Spruce, 

 etc., sometimes forming a considerable portion 

 of forest tracts. 



Its wood is rather heavy, a cubic foot when 



dry weighing 38.37 lbs., moderately hard and 



strong, and is valued in the manufacture of 



furniture and lumber for interior finishing, for 



barrel hoops, etc. It is extensively used in the 



manufacture of splints for baskets, owing ti 



the facility with which it splits between the 



layers of annual growth. The " Ash Burl " 



veneering is a product of this tree, being sliced 



from the " knots " or burls which form on its 



trunk and larger branches;. Their cause or 



origin is not well understood. - 



Leaves 10-10 in. long, with 7-11 oblong io 

 ohlong-lanccolate sessile leaflets, the terminal one 

 petiolulato. rounded or cuneate and unocjual at 

 hasp, long-acuminate at apex, sharply serrate, t" 

 mentose at first but at maturity gl.abroiis dark 

 green above, somewhat pa'i'r and glabrous willi 

 rufous hairs along the midrib bcncatli. Flninr.'' 

 polygamo-dioecious, lalyx ninii' : prials none; 

 stamens 2 sometimi's rudiincntnry in the pistillate 

 flowers. Fruit samara, linear-oblong, 1-1 Va in. 

 long, Vn in. broad, winged all around and with 

 flattened faintly-veined body and thin wing 

 emarginate at apex." 



1. Syn. Fraxinus sanibiicifalid Lam. 



2. A. W.. III. G2. 



o. For genus see pp. 4.54-455. 



