OLIVE FAMILY 



four-angied and four-winged branchiets. Its samaras resem- 

 ble those of the Black Ash, in that the broad wing wholly 

 surrounds the long flat body. Its wood has the qualities of 

 the other ashes and probably is not distinguished commer- 

 cially from them. The tree is recommended for park plant- 

 ing as it is hardy and grows rapidly, and its foliage is a rich, 

 dark, shining green. 



The inner bark yields a blue color to water, whence its 

 common name. 



BLACK ASH 



Frdxinus nigra. Frdxiints sariibucifoUa. 



A tall, slender tree, with narrow head of slender upright branches. 

 Loves deep cold swamps and muddy banks of streams. Is distrib- 

 uted from Newfoundland to Manitoba, southward to Delaware and 

 Virginia. 



Bark. — Granite gray, fissured, surface scaly. Branchiets stout, 

 terete, dark green at first, later ashy gray or yellowish, finally dark 

 gray. 



Wood. — Dark brown, sapwood light brown or white ; heavy, 

 rather soft, tough, coarse-grained. Used for barrel hoops, baskets, 

 cabinetwork and interior of houses. Sp. gr., 0.6318 ; weight of cu. 

 ft., 39.37 lbs. 



Whiter Buds. — Dark, almost black, ovate, acute at apex ; outer 

 scales fall when spring growth begins, inner scales enlarge and be 

 come green. 



Leaves. — Opposite, pinnately compound, twelve to sixteen inches 

 long. Leaflets seven to eleven, sessile except the terminal, oblong 

 or oblong-lanceolate, three to five inches long, one to two inches 

 wide, unequally wedge-shaped or rounded at base, slightly serrate, 

 acute or acuminate. They come out of the bud conduplicate, 

 downy with rusty hairs, when full grown dark green, smooth above, 

 paler beneath and smooth, except the midrib which is hairy. Feather- 

 veined, midrib and primary veins conspicuous. In autumn they 

 turn rusty brown and fall early. Petioles smooth, swollen at base, 

 flattened or grooved. 



Flowers. — May, before the leaves. Polygamous, without calyx or 

 corolla. Borne in lengthened panicles four or five inches long which 

 are opposite, single or in threes, in the axils of last year's leaves, 

 many-bracted. Staminate flowers are borne on separate trees or 

 mixed with perfect flowers on trees which produce pistillate ones, 



218 



