Abstract
Scanning electron microscopy of foliar surfaces of the seven species ofFraxinus native in eastern North America confirms the importance of cuticular patterns (smooth, striated, striate-papillose, and coronulate) as useful taxonomic character states. There are there trichome types (acicular hairs ornamented with micro-striae or-papillae, peltate glands, and scales) which are found in nearly all species and which vary only in density. No differences in surface features are found by which determination can be made of either sex or ploidy level inF. americana. Hybridization betweenF. americana andF. pennsylvanica is considered to be rare in nature and is not a probable cause for the overlap of character states and concomitant difficulty of identification based upon gross morphological features. Likewise, the putative hybrid origins ofF. biltmoreana andF. profunda are not supported by micro-morphological features. Illustrations are given for all species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Literature Cited
Fernald, M. L. & B. Schubert, 1948. Studies of American types in the British herbarium. Rhodora 50: 186–190.
Hardin, J. W. 1974. Studies of the southeastern United States flora. IV. Oleaceae. Sida 5: 274–285.
— 1979. Atlas of foliar surface features in woody plants, I. Vestiture and trichome types of eastern North AmericanQuercus. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 106: 313–325.
— 1980. Modern dendrology and SEM-systematics.In: Feret & Sharik, editors. Proceedings, dendrology in the eastern deciduous forest biome. Publ. No. FWS-2-80, Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg.
— 1981. Atlas of foliar surface features in woody plants, II.Broussonetia, Morus, andMaclura of North America. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 108: 338–346.
Hardin, J. W. & W. H. Gensel. 1982. Atlas of foliar surface features in woody plants, IV. Rhododendrons (Ericaceae) of eastern North America. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 109: (in press).
Kurz, H. & R. K. Godfrey. 1962. Trees of northern Florida. Univ. of Florida Press, Gainesville.
Little, E. L., Jr. 1952. Notes onFraxinus (ash) in the United States. J. Wash. Acad. Sci. 42: 369–380.
— 1979. Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). USDA Agriculture Handbook No. 541. U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC.
Metcalfe, C. R. & L. Chalk. 1957. Anatomy of the dicotyledons. Vol. II. Oxford Univ. Press, London.
Miller, G. N. 1955. The genusFraxinus the ashes, in North America, north of Mexico. Cornell Univ. Agric. Exp. Sta. Mem. 335: 1–64.
Payne, W. W. 1978. A glossary of plant hair terminology. Brittonia 30: 521–529.
Santamour, F. S., Jr. 1962. The relation between polyploidy and morphology in white and biltmore ashes. Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 89: 228–232.
Taylor, S. M. 1972. Ecological and genetic isolation ofFraxinus americana andFraxinus pennsylvanica. Dissertation, Dept. of Botany, Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor.
Wilkinson, H. P. 1979. The plant surface.In: Metcalfe & Chalk, editors. Anatomy of the dicotyledons. Ed. 2, Vol. 1. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Wilson, K. A. & C. E. Wood, Jr. 1959. The genera of Oleaceae in the southeastern United States. J. Arnold Arbor. 40: 369–384.
Wright, J. W. 1944a. Genotypic variation in white ash. J. Forest. (Washington) 42: 489–495.
— 1944b. Epidermal characters inFraxinus. Proc. Indiana Acad. Sci. 54: 84–90. [1945]
Wright, J. W. 1959. Silvical characteristics of green ash. U.S. Forest Serv., Northeast. For. Exp. Sta. Paper No. 126. Upper Darby, PA.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hardin, J.W., Beckmann, R.L. Atlas of foliar surface features in woody plants, V. fraxinus (Oleaceae) of eastern North America. Brittonia 34, 129–140 (1982). https://doi.org/10.2307/2806363
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2806363