220 Trees with Compound Leaves. [E i, n 



(Genus FRAXINUS, L. (Ash.) 



From a Greek word meaning " separation," because of the ease with which the wood 



of the Ash can be split. 



Fig. 110. White Ash. F. Americana, L. 

 Leaves, COMPOUND (odd-feathered ; leaflets, seven to nine) ; 



OPPOSITE ; EDGE OF LEAFLETS SLIGHTLY TOOTHED OR 



ENTIRE ; entire at the base. 



Outline of leaflet, long oval or long egg-shape. Apex, 

 taper-pointed. Base, somewhat pointed. 



Leaf-stem, smooth. Leaflet-stem, about one fourth of an 

 inch long, or more ; smooth. Leaf-bud, rusty- 

 colored and smooth. 



Leaflet, two to six inches long ; pale beneath ; downy 

 when young, but becoming nearly smooth, except 

 on the ribs. 



Bark of the trunk, light gray. In very young trees it 

 is nearly smooth, but it soon becomes deeply 

 furrowed the furrows crossing each other, and 

 so breaking the bark into irregular, somewhat 

 square or lozenge-shaped plates. Then in very 

 old trees it becomes smooth again, from the scaling 

 off of the plates. The branches are smooth and 

 grayish-green. The young shoots have a polished, 

 deep-green bark, marked with white lines or dots. 



Winged seeds, one and a half to two inches long, with the 

 " wing " about one fourth of an inch wide, hanging in 

 loose clusters from slender stems. The base of the 

 seed is pointed and not winged. 



Found, in rich woods, from Southern Canada to Northern 

 Florida and westward. Jj is most common in the 

 Northern States. The finest specimens are seen in 

 the bottom lands of the lower Ohio River basin. 



