Trees of Xcir York State 331 



OLEACEAE 



Fraxiiius pciinsylvanica, var. lauceolata (Borkh.) Sarg. fFraximis lanceolata 

 Borkh. ; Fraxiuus viridis Miclix. f.] 



Green Ash 



Habit — Similar to that of Red Asli. A small or medium-sized tree 30-60 

 feet in heiglit with a trunk diameter of 1-3 feet. lu the open the crown 

 is broad and round-topped, and extends to -within 6-8 feet of the ground. 

 Trees in bottom-land forests have slender boles and liigh, reduced crowns. 



Leaves — Opposite, odd-pimiately compound, 8-12 inches long, borne on stout, 

 glabrous petioles, consisting of 5-9 stalked leaflets arranged, except 

 for the terminal, in pairs along the smooth rachis. Leaflets lanceolate 

 or ovate-lanceolate, 3-5 inches long, attenuate at the apex, cimeate at the 

 base, sharply serrate, at maturity thin, bright green, glabrous, and some- 

 what lustrous on both sides. 



Flowers — Appearing in May before or with the leaves, dioecious, the stami- 

 nate in purplish red clusters which are usually less dense than those of 

 Eed Ash, the pistillate in open, greenish red panicles. Calyx cup-shaped, 

 obscurely toothed in the staminate flower, cup-shaped mth jagged, more 

 prominent lobes in the pistillate flower. Corolla lacking. Stamens 2, with 

 linear-oblong, emarginate anthers and short filaments. Pistil consisting 

 of an ovate ovary prolonged above into an elongated style bearing 2 

 stigmatic lobes at the apex. 



Fruit — ■ Similar to that of Red Ash. An oblong-spatulate or spatulate, light 

 brown samara, 1-2 inches long, with slender, terete, many-rayed body and 

 terminal, decurrent AA-ing. Fruiting panicles open, glabrous, persisting 

 into the winter. 



Winter characters — Twigs opposite, rather slender, spreading, flattened at 

 the nodes, glabrous, ashy-gray, marked by scattered lenticels and semi- 

 circular leaf-scars. Terminal bud ovate, acute, flattened, rusty-tomentose, 

 larger than the lateral buds. Visible scales 2 pairs. Mature bark thin, 

 ashy-gray, with narrow fissures and narrow, anastomosing ridges. 



Habitat — ^ .Similar to that of Red Ash. Damp situations along stream courses, 

 lake shores and bottom-lands. 



Range — New York westward through the Lake States to Saskatchewan and 

 the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains, southward into the Gulf and 

 Border states. Rare in the eastern part of its range but conmion in the 

 Mississippi basin. Zones A, B and C. 



Uses — Wood hard, heavy, strong light browni with thick, paler sapwood. 

 Used for the same purposes as that of White Ash and not distinguished in 

 the trade. Extensively planted as a shade and ornamental tree through- 

 out the Central States. 



