54 HOUGH'S AMERICAN WOODS. 



HABITAT. Eastern United States, though sparingly in the north 

 and there not attaining its full size, growing in rather damp soil, and in 

 the south iu swamps and marshes. 



PHYSICAL PROPERTIES. Wood rather heavy, soft, very strong and 

 tough owing to the interlacing of its fibers, which makes it very unwedg- 

 able; sap-wood light yellow with a slightly brownish tint; heart-wood 

 light brown. Specific Gravity, 0.6356; Percentage of Ash, 0.52; Relative 

 Approximate Fuel Value, 0.6323; Coefficient of Elasticity, 81932; Modu- 

 lus of Rupture, 830; Resistance to Longitudinal Pressure, 468; Resist- 

 ance to Indentation, 196; Weight of a Cubic Foot in Pounds, 39.61. 



USES. Owing to the great difficulty in splitting and working this 

 timber, it is useful for but comparatively few purposes, and those such 

 as require that quality. It is used in the manufacture of hubs for 

 wagon wheels, rollers, ox-yokes, hatters' blocks, sometimes for bowls 

 and other similar wooden-ware, etc. It is useful, too, for pump-logs, 

 aqueduct pipes, etc., being so tough that it requires no hoops. It is said 

 to be extensively used for that purpose at the Syracuse salt works. 



MEDICINAL PROPERTIES. None are ascribed to this species. 



ORDER OLEACE.ZE: OLIVE FAMILY. 



Leaves opposite and single or pinnately compound. Flowers monopetalous (rarely 

 apetalous or polypetalous); calyx 4-cleft, toothed or entire, or sometimes wanting; 

 corolla regular, 4-cleft (or sometimes 4-petalous, or even wanting altogether); sta- 

 mens only 2 (or rarely 4); ovary 2-cetled with usually 2 suspended ovules in each 

 cell. Fruit fleshy or capsular, containing 4 (or fewer) seeds. 



Represented by trees and shrubs. 



GENUS FRAXINUS, TOURN. 



Leaves petiolcd, oddly-pinnate, with 3-15 toothed or entire leaflets. Flowers small, 

 racemed or panicled, from the axils of the last year's leaves, the American repre^ 

 sentatives dioscious and apetalous; calyx and corolla, when present, as described for 

 the order; anthers large, linear or oblong; style single, stigma 2-cleft. Frit it a 

 1-2-celled, flattened samara, winged at the apex, 1-2 pendulous seeds in each cell. 



(The ancient Latin name of the Ash; supposed to be from the Greek cppa.,i<s, a 

 separation, alluding to the facility with which the wood splits.) 



10. FRAXINUS AMERICANA, L. 



WHITE ASH. 



Ger., Amerikanische Esche; Fr., Frene Americain; Sp., Fresno 



Americano. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS: Leaves pinnately compound with 7-9 leaflets, which are 

 petiolate, ovate or lance-oblong, pointed, entire or obscurely toothed, pale shining 

 above, smooth or pubescent beneath; petioles glabrous; branch lets smooth, gray, 

 and buds rust-colored, somewhat velvety. Flowers (April, May) in loose, axillary, 

 compound panicles, dioecious, apetalous, calyx minute and persistent. Frvit (August, 

 September) a samara, terete and marginless at the base, extending above into a 

 lanceolate, oblauceolate, or wedge linear, often slightly emarginate wing. 



