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FRAXINUS SPAETHIANA
- Fraxinus Spaethiana, Lingelsheim, in Engler, Bot. Jahrd. xl. 215 (1907).
- Fraxinus Sieboldiana, Dippel, Laubholzkunde, i. 63, t. 27 (1889); Koehne, Deutsche Dendrologie, (1893) (not Blume).
A small tree. Branchlets glabrous, grey. Leaflets seven to nine, coriaceous, 4 to 6 inches long, 1½ to 1¾ inch wide, sessile or subsessile (terminal leaflet sessile or with a stalk up to ½ inch long); lanceolate-oblong ; unequal and tapering at the base; abruptly contracted at the apex into a long, often curved acumen; margin non-ciliate, irregularly and often crenately serrate ; lateral nerves fifteen to twenty pairs ; glabrous except for slight pubescence along the midrib on the lower surface at the base. Rachis of the leaf, glabrous, with a continuous open groove on its upper side, dilated at its base into a swollen, dark-brown, shining sheath, which partly embraces the branchlet and conceals the glabrous dark-brown buds. Flowers, section Ornus. Fruit in large terminal glabrous leafless panicles. Samarz linear- spatulate, 1½ inch long, ⅓ inch wide in the broadest part, rounded and entire at the apex ; calyx with five short teeth.
This species, which has been a considerable time in cultivation, under the garden name of F- serratifoiza, is readily distinguishable from all the other species’ of ash which have been introduced, by the swollen base of the petiole, which somewhat resembles that of the plane tree. It is a native of Japan, where it appears to have been confused with F. Sieboldiana, which we consider to be a form of F, longicuspis. Specimens lately received at Kew, through the Hon. Vicary Gibbs, from Dr. Fukuba, Director of the Imperial Gardens at Tokyo, enable us to describe the fruit, which has hitherto been unknown.
It is a handsome and striking species, represented at Kew by a tree about 15 feet high, and at Aldenham by small plants. (A.H.)
FRAXINUS LONGICUSPIS
- Fraxinus longicuspis, Siebold et Zuccarini, in Abhand. Baier. Acad. Wissen. iv. 3, p. 169 (1846); Franchet et Savatier, Enum. Pl. Jap. i. 310 (1875); Shirasawa, Icon. Ess. Forest. Japon, text 126, t. 81 (1900); Lingelsheim, in Engler, Bot. Jahrb. xl. 214 (1907).
- Fraxinus Sieboldiana, Blume, in Mus. Lugd. Bat. i, 311 (1850).
A tree, attaining, according to Shirasawa, 50 feet in height and 7 feet in girth. Young branchlets grey, glabrous. Leaflets five, occasionally seven; terminal largest, stalked; lateral, upper pair sessile, lower pair stalked ; oblong, oblong-lanceolate, or
1 F. platypoda, Oliver, a species, discovered by me in Central China, has a similar swollen base to the petiole; but it has never been introduced.