Fraxinus velutina Torr.   =Fraxinus velutina var. coriacea             Oleaceae (Olive Family)   Native   Velvet Ash                                             Chaparral Flowering Ash Leather-Leaved Arizona Ash

                                April Photo

Plant Characteristics: Tree 5-10 m. tall; branchlets terete, +/-puberulent; lvs. opposite; lfts. 3-7, lanceolate to ovate or obovate, 2-8 cm. long, thickish, subglabrous, strongly veined, the lateral commonly on petiolules 3-10 mm. long;  plant dioecious; fls. before the lvs.; calyx ca. 1.5 mm. long; petals 0; samaras 1-seeded, subterete, 1.5-2.5 (-3.5) cm. long, 4-7 mm. wide, the narrow wing usually decurrent barely to the middle of the body.

Habitat:  Canyons and along streams, below 5000 ft.; deserts from Inyo Co. s.; to Nev., Ariz., L. Calif.  (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 588).  Also an escape from cultivation.  (my comment).

Name:  Fraxinus, Latin name of the ash. (Munz, Flora So. Calif. 588).  Velutinus, velvety.  (Bailey 23).  L. corium, leather, skin, peeled.  (Jaeger 66).  Coriaceous, leathery skin, possibly referring to the leaves.  (my comment).

General:  Rare in the study area.  Found only in the Delhi ditch above the new bike and horse bridge.  Of the two small trees photographed in May 1990, neither survived through 1991.  One was infested with aphis at the time of the photographs.  The small samaras I collected are +/- .9 cm. long.  Dave Bramblet suggested that they might have all been aborted.  (my comments).       The bark of F. excelsior, the European Ash, has been used as a diuretic and as a febrifuge (a medicine effacious in reducing fever).  Juice from the stems of F. ornus is used as a laxative.  (Meyer 16, 79).      F.  americana is useful in dropsy, urinary troubles and constipation.  Excellent for reducing.  This is one of the old-fashioned, well-known remedies. (Kloss 193).      About 65 species of deciduous trees mostly native in the north temp. zone, valuable as street and park trees.  (Bailey 799).       Apparently hybridizes with and difficult to separate from F. latifolia in southern Sierra Nevada and western Mojave Desert.  (Hickman, Ed. 776).      Variety coriacea not recognized.  (Hickman, Ed. 1344).      For additional data on Fraxinus sp. see Fraxinus uhdei..

Text Ref:  Bailey 799; Hickman, Ed. 776; Munz, Flora So. Calif. 588.

Photo Ref:  Mar-May 90 # 12,13,14

Identity: by John Johnson.

Computer Ref:  Plant Data 424.

Have plant specimen.

Last edit 3/15/03.

                                             April Photo