Fraxinus Americana, L.

White Ash.

Habitat and Range. —Rich or moist woods, fields and pastures, near streams.

Maine,—very common, often forming large forest areas; in the other New England states, widely distributed, but seldom occurring in large masses.

Habit. —A tall forest tree, 50-75 feet high, with a trunk diameter of 2-3 feet; rising in the rich bottom lands of the Ohio river 100 feet or more, often in the forest half its height without a limb. In open ground the trunk, separating at a height of a few feet, throws off two or three large limbs, and is soon lost amid the slender, often gently curving branches, forming a rather open, rounded head widest at or near the base, with light and graceful foliage, and a stout, rather sparse, glabrous, and sometimes flattish spray.

Bark. —Bark of trunk in mature trees easily distinguishable at some distance by the characteristic gray color and uniform striation; ridges prominent, narrow, flattish, firm, without surface scales but with fine transverse seams; furrows fine and strong, sinuous, parallel or connecting at intervals; large limbs more or less furrowed; smaller branches smooth and grayish-green; season's shoots polished olive green; leaf-scars prominent.

Winter Buds and Leaves. —Buds short, rather prominent, smooth, dark or pale rusty brown. Leaves pinnately compound, opposite, 6-12 inches long; petiole smooth and grooved; leaflets 5-9, 2-5 inches long, deep green and smooth above, paler and smooth, or slightly pubescent (at least when young) beneath; ovate to lance-oblong, entire or somewhat toothed; apex pointed; base obtuse, rounded or sometimes acute; leaflet stalks short, smooth; stipules and stipels none.

Inflorescence. —May. In loose panicles from lateral or terminal buds of the previous season's shoots, sterile and fertile flowers for the most part on separate trees, numerous, inconspicuous; calyx in sterile flowers 4-toothed, petals none, stamens 2-4, anthers oblong; calyx in fertile flowers unequally 4-toothed or nearly entire, persistent; petals none, stamens none, pistil 1, style 1, stigma 2-cleft.

Fruit. —Ripening in early fall, and hanging in clusters into the winter; a samara or key 1-2 inches long, body nearly terete, marginless below, dilating from near the tip into a wing two or three times as long as the body.

Horticultural Value. —Hardy throughout New England; prefers a rich, moist, loamy soil, but grows in any well-drained situation; easily transplanted, usually obtainable in nurseries, and can be collected successfully. It is one of the most desirable native trees for landscape and street plantations, on account of its rapid and clean growth, freedom from disease, moderate shade, and richly colored autumn foliage. As the leaves appear late in spring and fall early in autumn, it is desirable to plant with other trees of different habit. Propagated from seed.

Plate LXXXIII. —Fraxinus Americana.

Fraxinus Pennsylvanica, Marsh.

Fraxinus pubescens, Lam.

Red Ash. Brown Ash. River Ash.

Habitat and Range. —River banks, swampy lowlands, margins of streams and ponds.

Maine,—infrequent; New Hampshire,—occasional, extending as far north as Boscawen in the Merrimac valley; Vermont,—common along Lake Champlain and its tributaries ( Flora of Vermont , 1900); occasional in other sections; Massachusetts and Rhode Island,—sparingly scattered throughout; Connecticut,—reported from East Hartford, Westville, Canaan, and Lisbon (J. N. Bishop).

Habit. —Medium-sized to large tree, 30-70 feet high, with trunk 1-3 feet in diameter; erect, branches spreading, broad-headed; in general appearance resembling the white ash.

Bark. —Trunk dark gray or brown, smooth in young trees, furrowed in old, furrows rather shallower than in the white ash; branches grayish; young shoots greenish-gray with a rusty-velvety or scurfy pubescence lasting often into the second year.

Winter Buds and Leaves. —Buds rounded, dark reddish-brown, more or less downy, smaller than those of the white ash, partially covered by the swollen petiole. Leaves pinnately compound, opposite, 9-15 inches long; petiole short, downy, enlarged at base; leaflets 7-9, opposite, 3-5 inches long, about one half as wide, light green and smooth above, paler and more or less downy beneath; outline extremely variable, ovate, narrow-oblong, elliptical or sometimes obovate, entire or slightly toothed; apex acute to acuminate; base acute or rounded; leaflet stalks short, grooved, downy; stipules and stipels none.

Inflorescence. —May. Similar to that of the white ash.

Fruit. —Ripening in early fall, and hanging in clusters into the winter; samara or key about 1½ inches long; body of the fruit narrowly cylindrical, the edges gradually widening from about the center into linear or spatulate wings, obtuse or rounded at the ends, sometimes mucronate.

Horticultural Value. —Hardy throughout New England; grows readily in any good soil, but prefers a wet or moist, rich loam; almost as rapid growing when young as the white ash, and is not seriously affected by insects or fungous diseases; worthy of a place in landscape plantations and on streets, but not often found in nurseries; propagated from seed.

Plate LXXXIV. —Fraxinus Pennsylvanica.

Fraxinus Pennsylvanica, var. lanceolata, Sarg.

Fraxinus viridis, Michx. f. Fraxinus lanceolata, Borkh.

Green Ash.

River valleys and wet woods.

Maine,—common along the Penobscot river from Oldtown to Bangor; Vermont,—along Lake Champlain; Gardner's island, and the north end of South Hero; Rhode Island (Bailey); Connecticut,—frequent (J. N. Bishop, Report of Connecticut Board of Agriculture , 1895).

The claims to specific distinction rest mainly upon the usual absence of pubescence from the young shoots, leaves and petioles, the color of the leaves (which is bright green above and scarcely less so beneath), the usually more distinct serratures above the center, and a rather more acuminate apex.

Apparently an extreme form of F. pubescens , connected with it by numerous intermediate forms through the entire range of the species.

Plate LXXXV. —Fraxinus Pennsylvanica, var. ceolata.

Fraxinus nigra, Marsh.

Fraxinus sambucifolia, Lam.

Black Ash. Swamp Ash. Basket Ash. Hoop Ash. Brown Ash.

Habitat and Range. —Wet woods, river bottoms, and swamps.

Maine,—common; New Hampshire,—south of the White mountains; Vermont,—common; Massachusetts,—more common in central and western sections; Rhode Island,—infrequent; Connecticut,—occasional throughout.

Habit. —A tall tree reaching a height of 60-80 feet, with a trunk diameter of 1-2 feet; attaining greater dimensions southward. In swamps, when shut in by other trees, the trunk is straight, very slender, scarcely tapering to point of branching, in open situations under favorable conditions forming a large, round, open head. Easily distinguished from the other ashes by its sessile leaflets.

Bark. —Bark of trunk a soft ash-gray, in old trees marked by parallel ridges separating into fine, thin, close flakes; limbs light gray, rough-warted, the smaller with conspicuous leaf-scars; season's shoots olive green, stout; flattened at apex, with small, black, vertical dots.

Winter Buds and Leaves. —Buds roundish, pointed, very dark, the terminal ⅛ inch long. Leaves compound, opposite, 12-15 inches long; stipules none; stem grooved and smooth; leaflets 7-11, more frequently 9, 3-5 inches long, 1½-2 inches wide, green on both sides, lighter beneath and more or less hairy on the veins; outline variable, more usually oblong-lanceolate, sharply serrate; apex acuminate; base obtuse to rounded, sessile except the odd leaflets; stipels none.

Inflorescence. —May. Appearing before the leaves in loose panicles from lateral or terminal buds of the preceding season, sterile and fertile flowers on different trees; bracted; calyx none; petals none.

Fruit. —August to September. Samaras, in panicles, rather more than 1 inch long, rounded at both ends: body entirely surrounded by the wing.

Horticultural Value. —Hardy throughout New England; grows in any good soil, but prefers swamp or wet land. Its very tall, slender habit makes it a useful tree in some positions, but it is not readily obtainable in nurseries and is seldom used. Propagated from the seed. MzDbCrb47uC5Az2Lw/jBHDjmsQxGFzTA2GPmj2OZa4QeRSocF1VAbHzK3OxERRF7

Plate LXXXVI. —Fraxinus nigra.

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