THE ASH. 815 
the previous year a number of purple-coloured 
floral clusters. They are conspicuous on ac- 
count of the absence of foliage, and because of 
their number, but they have neither calyx nor 
corolla. They are provided with stamens and 
pistils, the latter being the rudimentary pods or 
‘keys,’ as the seed-vessels of the Ash are called. 
Upon fertilization by the instrumentality of the 
anthers—the pollen-bearing vessels of the sta- 
mens, the flat ovaries, or seed-vessels—each one 
of which is placed between two anthers—begin to 
enlarge; but after they have attained their full 
growth and become flat, wing-like bodies, they 
still remain attached to the Tree, until later in the 
year they are carried away by the force of high 
winds. The leaf of the common Ash is peculiar 
in shape. It consists of an arrangement on a 
single stem of five or six pairs of leaflets, with a 
single leaf at the top, placed in a line containing 
the main leaf-stem, and almost at right angles 
with the direction of the other leaves. Sometimes, 
however, a terminal leaflet is not present. The 
individuals of each pair of leaves are set on the 
stem exactly opposite each other, their shape being 
