RUTACEyE— RUE FAMILY 



WAFER ASH. HOP-TREE 



Ftilia Iri/i'liala. 



Ptt'lea^ of Greek deri\'ation. is the classical name of the elm 

 tree, which was transferred b)' I.innicus to this genus, because 

 of the resemblance of its fruit to that of the elm. l^vifoliata re- 

 fers to the three-parted coitipound leaf. 



A small tree, sometimes reaching the height of twenty feet, often 

 a shrub of a few spreading stems. It makes part of the under- 

 growth of the forests of the Mississippi \alley, and is found most 

 frequently on rocky slopes. Has thick flesliy roots, flourishes in 

 rich, rather moist soil. Its juices are acrid and bitter and the bark 

 possesses tonic properties. 



Bark. — Dark reddish brown, smooth. Branclilets dark reddish 

 brown, shining, co\ered with small excrescences. Bitter and ill- 

 scented. 



Wood. — Yellow brown ; heavy, hard, close-grained, satiny. Sp. 

 gr., 0.8319; ^veightofcu. ft., 51.84 lbs. 



Wintt-r Buds. — Small, depressed, round, pale, covered with sil- 

 very hairs. 



Leaves. — Alternate, compound, three - parted, dotted with oil 

 glands. Leaflets sessile, ovate or oljlong, three to five inches long, 

 by two to three broad, pointed at base, entire or serrate, graduallv 

 pointed at ape.K. Feather-veined, midrib and primary veins prom- 

 inent. They come otit of the bud conduplicate, \erv downy, when 

 full grown are dai-k green, shining aboxe, paler green beneath. In 

 autumn they turn a rusty yellow. Petioles stout, two and a half to 

 three inches long, base enlarged. Stipules wanting. 



Flowers. — May, June. Polygamo - moncecious, greenish white. 

 Fertile and sterile flowers produced together in terminal, spreading, 

 compound cymes ; the sterile being usually fewer, and falling at'tcr 

 the anther cells mature. Pedicels downy. 



Calyx. — Four or five-parted, downy, imbricate in the bud. 



32 



