The Ashes 795 



I. THE ASHES 



GENUS FRAXINUS [TOURNEFORT] LINN/EUS 



HE Ash of southern Europe, Fraxinus exce/jfor Linnaeus, the generic type, 

 was known to the Greeks under the generic name adopted by Linnaeus. 

 About 40 species are now known, distributed throughout the north 

 temperate zone, extending into Cuba {Fraxinus cubensis Grisebach) 

 and to southern Mexico {Fraxinus Schiedeana Chamisso and Schlectendahl). 



Nearly all the kinds are trees, and form an important element in our forests; 

 but Fraxinus dipetala Hooker and Amott of Cahfomia is usually if not always 

 a shrub, and some of the other species are occasionally shrubby in habit. Many 

 of our native species are planted for shade trees; also the European Fraxinus 

 elatior Linnaeus, which is occasionally spontaneous by seed. 



The sap of the ash trees is watery, the wood tough, and in most kinds strong. 

 The leaves are opposite, and in most species pinnately compound with 3 to 11 

 leaflets, though Fraxinus anomala Torrey, of Colorado and Utah usually has but 

 one leaflet; they are without stipules, and in all species fall away at the close of 

 the growing season. The clustered (panicled) flowers are small and regular, 

 appearing early in the spring; they are mostly imperfect, however, and in the 

 majority of American species are without petals, but in the Manna-ash of southern 

 Europe, several Asiatic species, and 3 of western North America there are either 

 2 or 4 long narrow petals, making the trees conspicuous when in flower, the bloom 

 somewhat resembhng that of the Fringe-tree {Chionanthus), which is a close 

 relative of the Ashes; the calyx is 4-toothed or 4-lobed, or in some species wanting; 

 there are almost always only 2 (rarely 3 or 4) stamens in the staminate flowers, 

 their anthers opening by longitudinal slits; the pistillate flowers have a single 

 2-celled (rarely 3-celled or 4-celled) ovary, borne above the calyx, when this is 

 present, surmounted by a 2-cleft style; each ovary-cell has 2 ovules, usually only 

 I of them maturing into a seed. The fruit is winged at the top or all around the 

 seed-bearing part. 



I. Petioles and leaf-rachis not wing-margined; leaflets large. 

 A. Flowers apetalous. 



Leaflets usually only one, rarely 2 to 5. i. F. anomala. 



Leaflets 3 to 11. 



Lateral leaflets sessile, or very short-stalked. 



Samara winged all around; eastern tree. 2. F. nigra. 



Samara-wing decurrent on the seed-body. 

 Leaves coriaceous; western trees. 



Seed-body of the samara slightly compressed; Pacific 



coast tree. 3. F. oregona. 



Seed-body of the samara round; southwestern tree. 4. F. velutina. 



Leaves thin; tree of central North America. 5. F. campestris. 



Lateral leaflets distinctly stalked. 



Body of the samara flat, the wing extending all around it. 



