THE ASH. 



^5 



reach perfection till late in the spring and tall early in the autumn, 

 while still green, or only somewhat shrivelled. Occasionally they turn 

 bright yellow. The leatiets otten tall before the leaf-stalks. 



SPRAY WITH FRUITS. 



THE FLOWER AND SEED. 



About a month before the leaves are produced, the t^owers appear 

 in dense clusters of black or purple issuing from buds on the shoots formed 

 last year. They have neither petals or sepals, but consist of a pistil 

 and a pair of stamens ; sometimes the pistils and stamens are found on 

 ditferent flowers. By the time the leaf-buds burst, the barren tiowers have 

 become brown and shrivelled, while the fertile ones are forming gradually 

 into small flat green fruits, borne on pale-green stalks. One stout stalk 



