Crushed foliage and branches are pungent in this small, deciduous tree. Buds are superposed and small; terminal buds are absent. Leaves are trifoliate with entire leaf margins. Flowers are small with unisexual and bisexual flowers on the same plant. Fruit is a round samara.
Ptelea trifoliata–Common Hoptree (Wafer-Ash)
Common Hoptree (Wafer-Ash)–Ptelea trifoliata
This is a small tree or a large shrub depending upon where the plant grows. Wafer-ash is found scattered over the state. The bark and leaves are bitter, strongly scented, and posses tonic qualities. It has a straight, slender trunk, 6—8 inches (15—20 cm) diameter, and seldom reaches a height of more than 20 feet.
The leaves are composed of three leaflets (trifoliate), rarely five, with entire leaf margins. Each leaflet is oval or pear-shaped with a pointed tip. Leaflets are 4—6 inches (5—15 cm) long by 2—3 inches (5—71/2 cm) wide, and dark green on the upper surface. The central leaflet is the largest.
Terminal buds are absent. Buds are superposed, small, silvery, silky, and often hidden by the leaf base. Leaf scars are horseshoe-shaped. Branches are reddish-brown in the second year.
Flowers are small with unisexual and bisexual flowers on the same plant. Flowers are greenish-white and unpleasantly scented. This tree flowers in June. Fruit matures in September or October. The fruit consists of a small, round, two-seeded, winged samara resembling paper caps for toy pistols. They occur in dense, drooping clusters and hang on the tree over winter. Fruit matures in September or October.
The wood is heavy, hard, yellowish-brown, and close-grained. The trees are too small and widely scattered to be commercially important. The bitter bark of the roots is sometimes used as a tonic.