OLEACEAE 



Blue Ash 



Praxinns quadrangulata, Michx. 



HABIT. A large tree 50-80 feet high, with a trunk diam- 

 eter of 1-3 feet; small, spreading branches and stout, 4-angled, 

 more or less 4-winged branchlets form a narrow crown. 



LEAVES. Opposite, pinnately compound, 8-12 inches long. 

 Leaflets 5-9, usually 7, 3-5 inches long, 1-2 inches broad; short- 

 stalked; ovate-oblong to lanceolate,, long-pointed; coarsely ser- 

 rate; thick and firm; yellow-green above, paler beneath, glabrous. 

 Petioles slender, glabrous. 



FLOWERS. April, before the leaves; perfect; borne in 

 loose panicles on shoots of the previous season ; calyx reduced to 

 a ring; corolla o; stamens 2; ovary 2-celled. 



FRUIT. September-October, falling soon after; samaras 

 1-2 inches long, in long, loose, paniculate clusters. 



WINTER-BUDS. Short, rather obtuse ; bud-scales rounded 

 on the back, 3 pairs, dark red-brown, somewhat pubescent. 



BARK. Twigs orange, rusty-pubescent, becoming brownish 

 or grayish; on the trunk light gray tinged with red, irregularly 

 divided into large, plate-like scales, often with the shaggy ap- 

 pearance of a Shagbark Hickory. 



WOOD. Heavy, hard, close-grained,, brittle, light yellow 

 streaked with brown, with thick, light yellow sapwood. 



DISTRIBUTION. Occasionally in the southern half of the 

 Lower Peninsula. Nowhere abundant. 



HABITAT. Prefers rich, limestone hills, but grows well in 

 fertile bottom-lands. 



NOTES. Hardy and grows rapidly. A blue dye is made by 

 mascerating the inner bark in water. 

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