=Distribution.=--Virginia, Indiana and Missouri, and south to Florida.
In Indiana the distribution has not been determined. It is a common to
an infrequent tree of the river sloughs and cypress swamps of the
southwestern counties. Authentic specimens are at hand from Knox,
Gibson, Posey, Perry, Bartholomew, Jackson, Marion and Daviess Counties,
and specimens from Hamilton, Tipton and Starke Counties, I doubtfully
refer to this species. The preferred habitat of this species is
inundated swamps, and when it grows in such situations it generally
develops a base swollen to a point somewhat above the water level. In
Bartholomew County it was found associated with the cow oak, and the
trunk resembled the white ash.
=Remarks.=--This species is known by authors and commercially as pumpkin
ash. The wood is similar to white ash but is inferior to that species.
On account of its habitat this species was little cut until the past few
years when ash became scarce. During the past few years most of the deep
river and cypress swamps have been invaded and all of the ash cut.
=6. Fraxinus quadrangulàta= Michaux. Blue Ash. Plate 129. Medium to
large sized trees with light gray bark, not regularly fissured, scaly at
least above; twigs and branchlets more or less distinctly 4-angled, the
angles of vigorous shoots develop corky wings about 2 mm. high; leaves
generally 2-3 dm. long; leaflets 7-11, generally 7-15 cm. long, on short
stalks, usually 1-5 mm. long, sometimes sessile, the terminal one on a
stalk generally about 1-2 cm. long, leaflets ovate to lanceolate,
narrowed or rounded at the base, generally long acuminate at the apex,
margins rather regularly and coarsely serrated with short incurved
teeth, yellow-green and smooth above, about the same color beneath and
generally smooth except along the veins, midrib and petiolules which are
permanently pubescent; calyx very small, usually about 0.5 mm. long, and
persisting more or less in fruit; fruit ripens last of June to August,
samaras twisted, generally 3-4 cm. long and 8-10 mm. wide, rounded at
the base, notched or rounded and apiculate at the apex, the apical end
of all specimens at hand twisted to the right, the wing surrounds the
body.
=Distribution.=--Southern Ontario to Iowa, and south to northern Alabama
and Arkansas. Found sparingly in most parts of Indiana, except the
northwest part. There are no records northwest of White and Noble
Counties. In the northern two-thirds of the State it is a rare to very
rare tree, generally found only along the bluffs of streams. In many
areas it is so rare that even the pioneers do not know the tree. It was
the most frequent in the southeastern part of the State. Here also it is
found principally along the higher banks of streams. While the species
is confined principally to high ground it also grew in lower ground. The
largest tree seen is on level ground at a fork of the road between
Charlestown and Jeffersonville about 3 miles northeast of
Jeffersonville. In 1918 this tree measured 28.2 dm. (104-1/2 inches) in
circumference breast high.
[Illustration: Plate 129.