Fraxinus ornus flowering ash
An unusual tree here and not showy. The smooth pinnate leaves are about 8 inches long with seven leaflets, some fuzz on the midrib, and flowers with four petals. See a specimen near the southeast corner of Roth Way and the Oval growing in the drainage ditch, and in Palo Alto at the house at 1102 Channing Avenue, the first street tree around the corner on Harriet Street. The tree east of Memorial Church behind Building 50 was removed in the autumn of 2011.
Name derivation: Fraxinus – classical Latin name for ash; ornus – Latin name for the mountain ash.
About this Entry: The main text of this entry is from the book Trees of Stanford and Environs, by Ronald Bracewell, published 2005. Minor edits, all locations verified Oct 2019 (SP).