FKAXINUS NIGRA, MARSH. 167 



Fraxinus nigra, Marsh. 

 Fraxinus sambucifolia, Lam. 



BLACK ASH. SWAMP ASH. BASKET ASH. HOOF ASH. 

 BROWN ASH. 



Habitat and Range. Wet woods, river bottoms, and swamps. 

 Anticosti through Ontario. 



Maine, common ; New Hampshire, south of the White 

 mountains ; Vermont, common ; Massachusetts, more 

 common in central and western sections ;. Rhode Island, 

 infrequent ; Connecticut, occasional throughout. 



South to Delaware and Virginia ; west to Arkansas and Missouri. 



Habit. A tall tree reaching a height of 60-80 feet, with 

 a trunk diameter of 1-2 feet ; attaining greater dimensions 

 southward. In swamps, when shut in by other trees, the 

 trunk is straight, very slender, scarcely tapering to point of 

 branching, in open situations under favorable conditions 

 forming a large, round, open head. Easily distinguished 

 from the other ashes by its sessile leaflets. 



Bark. Bark of trunk a soft ash-gray, in old trees marked 

 by parallel ridges separating into fine, thin, close flakes ; 

 limbs light gray, rough-warted, the smaller with conspicuous 

 leaf -scars ; season's shoots olive green, stout ; flattened at 

 apex, with small, black, vertical dots. 



Winter Buds and Leaves. Buds roundish, pointed, very 

 dark, the terminal -J- inch long. Leaves compound, opposite, 

 12-15 inches long ; stipules none ; stem grooved and smooth ; 

 leaflets 7-11, more frequently 9, 3-5 inches long, 1^-2 inches 

 wide, green on both sides, lighter beneath and more or less 

 hairy on the veins ; outline variable, more usually oblong- 

 lanceolate, sharply serrate ; apex acuminate ; base obtuse 

 to rounded, sessile except the odd leaflets ; stipels none.. 



Inflorescence. May. Appearing before the leaves in loose 

 panicles from, lateral or terminal buds of the preceding season, 

 sterile and fertile flowers on different trees ; bracted ; calyx 

 none ; petals none. 



