Wafer-ash. Summary. Protection Endangered in New York State, not listed federally.

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1 Wafer-ash Scientific Name Family Name Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata Rutaceae Rue Family Photo credits: Kimberly J. Smith Did you know? Wafer-ash belongs to the citrus family whose species grow mostly in the tropics or temperate regions in the southern hemisphere. For native plants in this family in North America, only the prickly ash, Zanthoxylum americanum, occurs farther north than wafer-ash. The winged fruit of wafer ash is unusual for the family (Heywood 1978). Summary Protection Endangered in New York State, not listed federally. This level of state protection means: listed species are those with: 1) 5 or fewer extant sites, or 2) fewer than 1,000 individuals, or 3) restricted to fewer than 4 U.S.G.S. 7 ½ minute topographical maps, or 4) species listed as endangered by U.S. Department of Interior. Rarity G5T5, S1S2 A global rarity rank of G5T5 means: Secure globally - Both the species as a whole and the subspecies/variety are common in the world; widespread and abundant (but may be rare in some parts of its range). A state rarity rank of S1S2 means: Critically Imperiled or Imperiled in New York - Especially or very vulnerable to disappearing from New York due to rarity or other factors; typically 20 or fewer populations or locations in New York, very few individuals, very restricted range, few remaining acres (or miles of stream), and/or steep declines. More information is needed to assign a single conservation status. Conservation Status in New York There are eight existing populations but only one has more than 100 plants. There are eight historical occurrences known from 1830 to the 1920s with one from Cultivated populations occur in eastern New York and Long Island but only central and western New York plants are native. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wafer-ash (Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata)

2 Short-term Trends Most populations have been censused only once so population trends are unclear. Long-term Trends There are about the same number of historical collections as known extant populations, suggesting the long-term population trend is stable. Conservation and Management Threats Landscaping activities and clearing of vegetation, invasive species, and deer overbrowsing are threats to these plants as well as the development of the Lake Erie shoreline. Conservation Strategies and Management Practices Make sure maintenance personnel are aware of these plants when landscaping and maintenance activities take place. Suppress invasive species around plants and reduce deer populations to avoid overbrowsing. Research Needs There are no research needs at this time. Habitat The native New York state populations of Wafer-ash are found in a variety of habitats near Lake Erie, including cobble shores and sand beaches, rich forests and northern hardwood forests (often at the edges or in weedy thickets), and the edges of bluffs and cliffs (New York Natural Heritage Program 2013). Roadsides, forest fragments and borders, waste areas (Haines and Vining 1998). Moist or rich woods and thickets (Gleason and Cronquist 1991). Wooded to more or less open dunes; sandy fields and knolls; fencerows and dry bluffs or banks; rarely in swampy places (Voss 1985). Alluvial thickets, rocky slopes and gravels (Fernald 1950). Associated Ecological Communities Cobble Shore A community that occurs on the well-drained cobble shores of lakes and streams. These shores are usually associated with high-energy waters (such as high-gradient streams), and they are likely to be scoured by floods or winter ice floes. Great Lakes Bluff A sparsely vegetated community that occurs on vertical exposures of unconsolidated material, such as small stone, gravel, sand, and clay, that is exposed to Great Lakes erosional forces, such as water, ice, or wind. Great Lakes Dunes A community dominated by grasses and shrubs that occurs on active and stabilized sand dunes along the shores of the Great Lakes. Unstable dunes are sparsely vegetated, NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wafer-ash (Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata) 2

3 whereas the vegetation of stable dunes is more dense, and can eventually become forested. Sand Beach A sparsely vegetated community that occurs on unstable sandy shores of large freshwater lakes, where the shore is formed and continually modified by wave action and wind erosion. Characteristic species that are usually present at very low percent cover include various grasses and other herbs. Successional Northern Hardwoods A hardwood or mixed forest that occurs on sites that have been cleared or otherwise disturbed. Canopy trees are usually relatively young in age (25-50 years old) and signs of earlier forest disturbance are often evident. Characteristic trees and shrubs include any of the following: quaking aspen, big-tooth aspen, balsam poplar, paper birch, gray birch, pin cherry, black cherry, red maple, and white pine. Other Probable Associated Communities Maple-basswood rich mesic forest Associated Species Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum) Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) Canadian Milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis) Quill Sedge (Carex tenera) American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) Shagbark Hickory (Carya ovata) Intermediate Enchanter's Nightshade (Circaea lutetiana ssp. canadensis) Alternate-leaf Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia) Northern Rough-leaved Dogwood (Cornus drummondii) Gray Dogwood (Cornus racemosa) Roundleaf Dogwood (Cornus rugosa) Common Crown-vetch (Coronilla varia) Shrubby Cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa) Large-leaf Aster (Eurybia macrophylla) White Ash (Fraxinus americana) American Witch-hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) Spotted Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) Black Walnut (Juglans nigra) Dwarf Juniper (Juniperus communis) Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) Tulip Tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) Canada May-flower (Maianthemum canadense) Large False Solomon s-seal (Maianthemum racemosum) Ostrich Fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris) Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis) Hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) May-apple (Podophyllum peltatum) NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wafer-ash (Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata) 3

4 Downy Solomon's-seal (Polygonatum pubescens) Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) Wild Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana) Red Oak (Quercus rubra) Black Oak (Quercus velutina) Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) Sandbar Willow (Salix interior) Black Snake-root (Sanicula marilandica) Carrion-flower (Smilax herbacea) Heart-leaf Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium) Yellow Pimpernel (Taenidia integerrima) Early Meadow-rue (Thalictrum dioicum) White Basswood (Tilia americana) Eastern Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) Southern Arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum var. lucidum) Riverbank Grape (Vitis riparia) Common Alexanders (Zizia aurea) Identification Comments Wafer-ash is a native, alternately branching shrub or small tree (up to 7.6 m tall) with a broad crown. Its bark is reddish brown to gray-brown, with short horizontal lenticels and warty corky ridges and an unpleasant odor and bitter taste. The leaves have long petioles, and are shiny dark green above and paler below. They are palmately compound with 3 sessile to nearly-sessile leaflets that are 5.4 to 10.2 cm long. The fruits are 2-seeded, dry, papery, widely winged circular (orbicular) to kidney-shaped (reniform) samaras 15 to 25 mm wide. They are also net-veined (reticulate) and have the odor of hops. Best Life Stage for Identifying This Species To positively identify wafer-ash use of the leaves and mature fruit are best but identification with only vegetative material is possible. The Best Time to See Flowering starts in early June and continues through late June. Fruiting typically begins in early July and fruits may persist until the first frost. Twigs, barks, buds and leaves may be distinguished all year. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wafer-ash (Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata) 4

5 Vegetative Flowering Fruiting Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Similar Species The time of year you would expect to find Wafer-ash in New York. When wafer-ash is fruiting, it looks very distinctive. One might smaller confuse smaller vegetative water-ash with woody poison-ivy (Toxicodendron radicans). The terminal leaflet of poison ivy is on a long stalk, while those of Ptelea are nearly sessile. Bladdernut ( Staphylea trifoliata) is a large shrub to small tree that may look superficially similar to wafer-ash given that it typically has 3 leaflets. But it is oppositely branched, its leaflets are pinnately compound with serrate margins, and its fruits are inflated capsules in contrast to wafer-ash's winged samaras. Taxonomy Kingdom Phylum Plantae Anthophyta Class Dicots (Dicotyledoneae) Order Sapindales Family Additional Common Names Hop-tree Stinking Ash Rutaceae (Rue Family) Additional Resources Links Vtree - Tree identification factsheets Wisconsin rare plants 0 USDA Plants Database PTELEA+TRIFOLIATA NatureServe Explorer Google Images NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wafer-ash (Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata) 5

6 New York Flora Atlas species page Best Identification Reference Fernald, M.L Gray's manual of botany. 8th edition. D. Van Nostrand, New York pp. References Gleason, Henry A. and A. Cronquist Manual of Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp. Haines, A. no date. Flora Novae Angliae. New England Wildflower Society, Framingham, MA. Online. Available: (Accessed 2007). Haines, A. and T.F. Vining Flora of Maine, A Manual for Identification of Native and Naturalized Vascular Plants of Maine. V.F.Thomas Co., Bar Harbor, Maine. Heywood, V.H Flowering Plants of the World. Mayflower Books, Inc. New York. 336 pp. Holmgren, Noel The Illustrated Companion to Gleason and Cronquist's Manual. Illustrations of the Vascular Plants of Northeastern United States and Adjacent Canada. The New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. Keys, Jr.,J.; Carpenter, C.; Hooks, S.; Koenig, F.; McNab, W.H.; Russell, W.;Smith, M.L Ecological units of the eastern United States - first approximation (cd-rom), Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. GIS coverage in ARCINFO format, selected imagery, and map unit tables. Little, E.L., Jr Checklist of United States trees (native and naturalized). Agriculture Handbook No U.S. Forest Service, Washington, D.C. 375 pp. NatureServe NatureServe Central Databases. Arlington, Virginia. USA New York Natural Heritage Program Biotics database. New York Natural Heritage Program. New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Albany, NY. Reschke, Carol Ecological communities of New York State. New York Natural Heritage Program, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Latham, NY. 96 pp. plus xi. Rhoads, Ann F. and Timothy A. Block Trees of Pennsylvania. A Complete Reference Guide. University of Pennsylvania Press, Philadelphia, PA. Voss, E.G Michigan flora. Part II. Dicotyledons. Cranbrook Institute of Science and University of Michigan Herbarium. Ann Arbor, Michigan pp. Weldy, T. and D. Werier New York flora atlas. [S.M. Landry, K.N. Campbell, and L.D. Mabe (original application development), Florida Center for Community Design and Research University of South Florida New York Flora Association Albany, New York Zaremba, Robert E Corrections to phenology list of April 9, New York Natural Heritage Program 625 Broadway, 5th Floor, Albany, NY NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wafer-ash (Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata) 6

7 Phone: (518) This project is made possible with funding from: - New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hudson River Estuary Program NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wafer-ash (Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata) 7

8 - Division of Lands & Forests, Department of Environmental Conservation - New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation Information for this guide was last updated on Aug 15, 2017 This guide was authored by Stephen M. Young, Elizabeth Spencer, Richard M. Ring. NYNHP Conservation Guide - Wafer-ash (Ptelea trifoliata ssp. trifoliata) 8