The opposite _leaves_ of the white ash are from 8 to 12 inches long and
have from 5 to 9 plainly stalked, sharp-pointed leaflets, dark green and
smooth above, pale green beneath.
The _flowers_ are of two kinds on different trees, the staminate in
dense reddish-purple clusters and the pistillate in more open bunches.
The _fruit_ of the ash is winged, 1 to 1-1/2 inches long, resembling the
blade of a canoe paddle in outline, with the seed at the handle end. The
fruits mature in late summer and are distributed effectively by the
winds.
The _wood_ of the white ash is extremely valuable on account of its
toughness and elasticity. It is preferred to all other native woods for
small tool handles, such athletic implements as rackets, bats, and oars,
and agricultural implements. It is also used extensively for furniture
and interior finish.
The green ash, _Fraxinus pennsylvanica lanceolata_ Sarg., is common in
stream valleys throughout the State. The hairy form of this tree is
known as the red ash. This species differs from the white ash in
having the leaves bright green or yellow-green on both sides. The
fruit has the wing portion extending well down past the middle of the
seed-bearing part, and with the wing sometimes square or slightly
notched at the outer end. The wood is similar to that of the white
ash, but is not quite so tough.
+BLUE ASH+ _Fraxinus quadrangulata_ Michx.
THE blue ash is not very common but widely distributed in the upland
portions of the State, where it is limited to limestone bluffs,
occasionally descending to the adjacent bottom lands. It becomes a large
tree 60 feet or more in height with a trunk 2 feet in diameter. The
young twigs are usually square, sometimes winged or 4-ridged between the
leaf bases.
[Illustration: BLUE ASH