Fraxinus albicans


Fraxinus albicans, commonly called the Texas ash, is a species of tree in the olive family. It is native to North America, where it is found from eastern Texas and southern Oklahoma in the United States, to the state of Durango in Mexico. Its natural habitat is in dry, rocky slopes, often over limestone.

Description

It is a small deciduous tree growing to 10 m tall, with a trunk up to 30 cm diameter. The leaves are 13–20 cm long, pinnately compound with usually five rounded leaflets 3–7.5 cm long and 2–5 cm broad. The flowers are purple, produced in small clusters in early spring; like all ashes, the Texas ash is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate trees. The fruit is a samara 1.5–3 cm long, with an apical wing. It is long-lived and drought tolerant.

Taxonomy

Fraxinus albicans is closely related to Fraxinus americana, and is sometimes treated as a variety of it. Where they co-occur, Fraxinus albicans is found in dry habitats while Fraxinus americana is found in mesic bottoms. Fraxinus albicans can be morphologically distinguished by its smaller leaves, smaller and more rounded leaflets, and smaller samaras.