This species has not been observed in the "knob" area of the State or
anywhere in the flats of the Lower Wabash Valley. Schneck reports it as
rare on the hills of this area. The tree is too rare to definitely
determine its associates, although sugar maple is usually found with it.
=Remarks.=--This species is becoming too scarce to be of much economic
importance. The cut is usually sold as white ash. The uses of the wood
are practically the same as the white ash.
The fruit and foliage of this species most closely resembles that of the
black ash, from which it can be distinguished by its greenish-yellow
foliage and the habitat in which it grows.
=7. Fraxinus nìgra= Marshall. Black Ash. Plate 130. Medium sized, tall
and straight trees with a light gray bark, broken up into small thin
plates on old trunks; twigs round, robust and smooth at maturity; leaves
2.5-4 dm. long, leaflets generally 7-11 and 7-13 cm. long, sessile, the
terminal one generally on a stalk 0.5-1 cm. long, oblong or
oblong-lanceolate, narrowed or rounded at the base, and short or long
acuminate at the apex, margins coarsely and rather irregularly serrate
with short teeth which are usually somewhat incurved, dark green and
glabrous above, not much lighter beneath and glabrous or pubescent along
the midrib and larger veins; calyx and corolla none; fruit ripens the
last of June to August, similar to the fruit of the blue ash, samaras
generally 3-4 cm. long, and 7-10 mm. wide, body winged all around, the
base of the samara rounded, the apex notched or rounded, the apical end
of the samara twisted more or less to the right in all specimens at
hand.
=Distribution.=--Nova Scotia to Manitoba, south to Virginia and northern
Arkansas. Local in all parts of Indiana except in the "knob" area of the
State. It is generally found in places that are inundated much of the
winter season. Its habitat is in cold swampy woods or similar places
about lakes. It has no special affinity for streams. It is local in its
distribution. Where it is found it is generally a frequent to common
tree. In the lake area of Indiana its habitat conditions are frequent,
consequently colonies of it are frequent. South of the lake area of the
State it becomes rare to extremely local. In the southwest part of the
State it has been sparingly found in a few cypress swamps. It is usually
associated with white elm, cottonwood, aspens, red maple, bur oak, and
is one of the first species to invade extinct tamarack swamps.
[Illustration: Plate 130.