76 HARDY ORNAMENTAL 



Fraxinus (Oleaceae). 



Fraxinus Maeiesii.— Northern China, 1880. This is 

 hardy in most parts of the country. The whole tree is 

 quite glahrous except the petioles, which are clothed with 

 a dense pubescence. Flowers pure white, and arranged in 

 large dense panicles. 



F. Ornus (syn F. argentea, F. rotundifolia, and Ornus 

 europcea). — Manna Ash. South Europe, 1730. This is 

 a handsome tree, especially when young and vigorous, 

 and by far the most ornamental species in cultivation. 

 For planting in situations where large-growing subjects 

 would be out of place this is a valuable tree, while the 

 wealth of flowers renders it particularly interesting and 

 effective. It rarely exceeds 30 feet in height, with leaves 

 not unlike those of the common Ash, and conspicuous 

 panicles of light, feftthery, white petaliferous flowers, 

 produced usually in great abundance all over the tree. 

 Perfectly hardy. 



F. Ornus serotina alba and F. Ornus serotina violacea 

 are beautiful seedling forms that were raised in France, 

 and on account of their dwarf habit and profusion of 

 flowers are well worthy of attention. The flowers of the 

 first-named variety are pure white, the stamens having 

 at first yellow anthers, which speedily turn to a rich 

 blackish-brown. The other differs but little, only in the 

 flowers, which are of a distinct greyish-violet hue, while 

 the leaves are of a darker shade of green, and the leaflets 

 longer and narrower. 



F. xanthoxyloides. — Himalayas, 1845. A small-grow- 

 ing tree with three to five pairs of leaflets, and dense heads 

 of brownish flowers which appear before the leaves. These 

 are the only species that can be considered as ornamental 

 flowering. They all succeed in rich, dampish, well-drained 

 loam. 



