102 Common Trees 



OTHER OfflO ASH TREES 



THE Red Ash — Fraxinus pennsylvanica, Marshall — is 

 also called Swamp Ash and White Ash. It is a me- 

 dium-sized tree which, as a rule, is not separated from the 

 White Ash, excepting in books. The best way to distin- 

 guish this tree is by its velvety pubescent twigs which arc 

 present at all seasons of the year. In autumn and early 

 winter the winged fruit is also helpful in recognizing it. The 

 wing usually extends along the seed for at l?ast one-half its 

 length. The seed end is less than half so wide as the flat- 

 tened wing. This tree ranges from Quebec to Manitoba and 

 south to Florida. It occurs locally throughout Ohio. Its 

 wood is similar to that of White Ash and goes on the mar- 

 ket under this name. A number of horticultural varieties 

 have been developed for ornamental use. 



The Green Ash — Fraxinus lanceolata, Borckhause — is 

 also called Swamp Ash and White Ash. By many tree spe- 

 cialists this tree is classified as a variety of the Red Ash. Its 

 principal distinguishing characteristic is its smooth twigs. 

 They lack the velvety pubescence of the Red Ash, and the 

 wings of its seeds extend along the body for more than one- 

 third of its length while the wings of the White Ash seed 

 arc attached only to the end of the seed. The wood is 

 similar to that of White Ash and is generally used for the 

 same purposes. This tree ranges from Lake Champlain to 

 the Saskatchewan and south to the Gulf of Mexico. In 

 some places in the West it is the dominant ash. It has 

 helped change the treeless prairies into a land of shaded 

 roads, protected homesteads, and beautifully bordered 

 streams. In Ohio this tree occurs generally throughout the 

 State, but is less common in the southeastern part. Low 

 ground, stream banks and swamps are its favorite home. It 

 is sometimes planted as an ornamental tree. 



