Michigan Trees Part 46

2. Leaf, 1/2.

3. Flowering branchlet, 1.

4. Flower, enlarged.

5. Fruit, 1/2.]

+OLEACEAE+

+Blue Ash+

_Fraxinus quadrangulata Michx._

HABIT.--A large tree 50-80 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-3 feet; small, spreading branches and stout, 4-angled, more or less 4-winged branchlets form a narrow crown.

LEAVES.--Opposite, pinnately compound, 8-12 inches long. Leaflets 5-9, usually 7, 3-5 inches long, 1-2 inches broad; short-stalked; ovate-oblong to lanceolate, long-pointed; coa.r.s.ely serrate; thick and firm; yellow-green above, paler beneath, glabrous. Petioles slender, glabrous.

FLOWERS.--April, before the leaves; perfect; borne in loose panicles on shoots of the previous season; calyx reduced to a ring; corolla 0; stamens 2; ovary 2-celled.

FRUIT.--September-October, falling soon after; samaras 1-2 inches long, in long, loose, paniculate cl.u.s.ters.

WINTER-BUDS.--Short, rather obtuse; bud-scales rounded on the back, 3 pairs, dark red-brown, somewhat p.u.b.escent.

BARK.--Twigs orange, rusty-p.u.b.escent, becoming brownish or grayish; on the trunk light gray tinged with red, irregularly divided into large, plate-like scales, often with the s.h.a.ggy appearance of a s.h.a.gbark Hickory.

WOOD.--Heavy, hard, close-grained, brittle, light yellow-streaked with brown, with thick, light yellow sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Occasionally in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula.

Nowhere abundant.

HABITAT.--Prefers rich, limestone hills, but grows well in fertile bottom-lands.

NOTES.--Hardy and grows rapidly. A blue dye is made by macerating the inner bark in water.

[Ill.u.s.tration: +Black Ash+

1. Winter twig, 1.

2. Leaf, 1/3.

3. Staminate flowering branchlet, 1/2.

4. Staminate flower, enlarged.

5. Pistillate flowering branchlet, 1/2.

6. Pistillate flowers, enlarged.

7. Fruit, 1.]

+OLEACEAE+

+Black Ash+

_Fraxinus nigra Marsh._ [_Fraxinus sambucifolia Lam._]

HABIT.--A tall tree 60-80 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 1-2 feet; slender, upright branches form in the forest a narrow crown, in the open a rounded, ovoid crown.

LEAVES.--Opposite, pinnately compound, 12-16 inches long. Leaflets 7-11, 3-5 inches long, 1-2 inches broad; sessile, except the terminal; oblong to oblong-lanceolate, long-pointed; remotely, but sharply serrate; thin and firm; dark green above, paler beneath, glabrous. Petioles stout, grooved, glabrous.

FLOWERS.--May, before the leaves; polygamo-dioecious; borne in loose panicles on shoots of the preceeding season; calyx 0; corolla 0; stamens 2; ovary 2-celled.

FRUIT.--August-September, falling early, or sometimes hanging on the tree until the following spring; samaras 1-1-1/2 inches long, in open, paniculate cl.u.s.ters 8-10 inches long.

WINTER-BUDS.--Ovoid, pointed; bud-scales rounded on the back, 3 pairs, almost black.

BARK.--Twigs at first dark green, becoming ashy gray or orange, finally dark gray and warted; thin, soft ash-gray and scaly on the trunk. Bark flakes off on rubbing with the hand.

WOOD.--Heavy, tough, coa.r.s.e-grained, weak, rather soft, dark brown, with thin, lighter colored sapwood.

DISTRIBUTION.--Common throughout most portions of Michigan.

HABITAT.--Prefers deep, cold swamps and low river-banks, but grows in any good soil.

NOTES.--Hardy throughout the state. Not easily transplanted. Foliage falls early in autumn.

+SUMMER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF CATALPA+

a. Leaves 5-8 inches long, thick; flowers 1-1/2 inches across, prominently yellow-spotted; seeds with _pointed_, fringed wings at each end; branches rather crooked and straggling; bark thin, separating into thin scales on the trunk. _C.

bignonioides_, p. 227.

aa. Leaves 8-12 inches long, thin; flowers 2-1/2 inches across, not prominently spotted; seeds with _rounded_, wide-fringed wings at each end; branches not crooked and straggling; bark thick, separating into thick scales on the trunk. _C. speciosa_, p. 225.

+WINTER KEY TO THE SPECIES OF CATALPA+

a. Fruiting capsules about 1/4 inch thick; seeds with _pointed_, fringed wings at each end; branches rather crooked and straggling; bark thin, separating into thin scales on the trunk. _C. bignonioides_, p. 227.

aa. Fruiting capsules about 1/2 inch thick, seeds with _rounded_, wide-fringed wings at each end; branches not crooked and straggling; bark thick, separating into thick scales on the trunk. _C. speciosa_, p. 225.

[Ill.u.s.tration: +Hardy Catalpa+

1. Winter twig, 1.

2. Leaf, 1/4.

3. Panicle of flowers, 3/8.

4. Fruit, 1/2.

5. Seed, 1.]

+BIGNONIACEAE+

+Hardy Catalpa+