170 



N. Ord. OLEACE.E. Lindl., Veg. K., p. 616 ; Le Maout & Dec., 

 p. 545. 



Tribe Fraxinece. 



Genus Fraxinus,* Linn. B. & H., Gen., ii, p. 676. Over 30 

 species are described, natives of the warm and temperate 

 countries of the northern hemisphere. 



170. Fraxinus Ornus,f Linn., Sp. Plant., ed. I, p. 1057 (1753). 



Manna Ash. Flowering Ash. Meleos (Greece). 



f 

 Syn. Ornus europsea, Pers. 



Figures. "Woodville, t. 209 ; Fl. Grseca, t. 4, cop. in Steph. & Ch., t. 53 ; 



Nees, t. 374 ; Hayne, xiii, t. 11 ; Berg & Sch., t. 3 e. 







Description. A small tree, not usually growing above 15 or 20 

 feet nigh, with a slender stem and a smooth, grey bark, with the 

 leaf-scars strongly marked on the young twigs. Leaves opposite, 

 decussate, 2 pairs only being usually produced on each flowering 

 branch, without stipules, 6 8 inches long, stalked, pinnate, with 

 4 pairs of leaflets and a terminal one, rachis smooth, channelled 

 above, leaflets very shortly stalked, 1J 2 inches long, oblong- 

 oval, the terminal one often somewhat obovate, tapering at both 

 ends but especially to the acuminate apex, finely serrate, thin, 

 glabrous on both sides, except at the sides of the midrib at the 

 lower part of the under surface, where are patches of whitish 

 wool, bright light green. Flowers bisexual, small, very nume- 

 rous, appearing with the leaves, on long, very slender pedicels, in 

 little bunches irregularly arranged on the opposite branches of 

 pinnately divided panicles, the largest of which terminates the 

 flowering branches, and four other smaller ones come from the 

 axils of the two pair of leaves, the whole forming a very elegant, 

 drooping, feathery, compound panicle. Calyx deeply divided 

 into 4 narrowly triangular, acute, erect segments, smooth, per- 

 sistent. Petals about J inch in length, 5 times as long as the 



* Fraxinus, the Latin classical name for the Ash ; in Greek, p.t\ia. 

 f Ornus, a classical name for a wild mountain ash ; applied to this species 

 by some medieval writers. 



