802 



The Ashes 



seed-bearing part. In this tree the ovary is often 3-celled, giving rise to a 3- 

 winged fruit. 



Its wood is soft and weak, nearly white, and has no commercial value; its 

 specific gravity is only 0.35. 



9. DARLINGTON'S ASH — Praxinus Darlingtonii Britton 



This tree resembles the Red ash {Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marshall) in form, 



size and foliage, and has been con- 

 fused with it, but it differs in the form 

 of the fruit. It is known to occur on 

 hill-sides, river-banks, and in valleys 

 and swampy woods from Massachu- 

 setts to central New York and south- 

 ward to Alabama and Louisiana, 

 reaching a maximum height of about 

 20 meters. Its geographic range is 

 probably wider than is yet known. 



The young twigs and leaves are 

 either velvety or quite smooth, and the 

 former sometimes remain permanently 

 velvety to the close of the growing sea- 

 son, the latter being either hairy be- 

 neath when old, or smooth. There 

 are 5 or 7 lanceolate long-pointed 



stalked leaflets. The flowers are dioecious. The samaras are long-linear, not 



spatulate, 5 to 7.5 cm. long, about 4 



mm. Asdde, the narrow wing decurrent 



upon the terete seed-bearing part only 



to above the middle. 



The wood is brown, hard and 



strong, and is used for the same pur- 

 poses as. that of the tree with which 



it has been confused. 



10. BERLANDIER'S ASH 

 Frazinas Berlandieri de Candolle 



Berlandier's ash inhabits south- 

 western Texas and adjacent northern 

 Mexico; it sometimes becomes 10 to 12 

 meters high, and then has a trunk di- 

 ameter, of about 3 dm., but is not 

 known to form a large tree. 



Fig. 730. — Darlington's Ash. 



Fig. 731. 



■ Berlandier's Ash. 



