The Trees of Vermont 189 



OLEACEAE 



Eed Ash 

 Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. [Fraxinus pubescens Lam.] 



Habit. — A medium-sized tree 30-50 feet high, with a trunk di- 

 ameter of 1-2 feet; stout, upright branches and slender branchlets 

 form a compact, broad, irregular crown. 



Leaves. — Opposite, pinnately compound, 10-12 inches long. Leaf- 

 lets 7-9, 3-5 inches long, 1-1^ inches broad; short-stalked; oblong- 

 lanceolate to ovate ; slightly serrate or entire ; thin and firm ; glabrous, 

 yellow-green above, pale and silky-downy beneath. Petioles stout, 

 pubescent. 



Flowers. — May, with the leaves ; dioecious ; borne in compact, 

 Qlowny panicles on shoots of the previous season ; calyx cup-shaped, 

 4-toothed ; corolla ; stamens 2, rarely 3 ; ovary 2-celled. 



Fruit. — Early autumn, persistent on the branches throughout the 

 winter; samaras 1-2 inches long, in open, paniculate clusters. 



Winter-buds. — Small, rounded ; bud-scales rounded on the back, 

 3 pairs, rusty brown, tomentose. 



Bark. — Twigs pale pubescent at first, lasting 2-3 years or often 

 disappearing during the first summer, finally ashy gray or brownish 

 and often covered with a glaucous bloom ; brown or dark gray on the 

 trunk, with many longitudinal, shallow furrows ; somewhat scaly. 



Wood. — Heavy, hard, strong, brittle, coarse-grained, light brown, 

 with thick, yellow-streaked sapwood. 



Distribution. — Common along Lake Champlain and its tributa- 

 ries ; occasional in other sections. 



Habitat. — Wet or moist, rich loam ; river-banks ; swampy low- 

 lands. 



Notes. — The red ash closely resembles .the white ash in general 

 appearance. It may be recognized always, however, by looking closely 

 at the buds in winter or at the young shoots or petioles in summer. 

 These parts are velvety with delicate hairs, and it is this characteristic 

 pubescence which suggested the Latin name of the species. The 

 flowers and fruits bear a general resemblance to those of the white ash. 

 The red ash is used considerably in manufactures but is inferior to 

 the preceding species for most purposes. It is distributed generally 

 along the shores of Lake Champlain and its adjacent waters but has 

 not been reported from other parts of Vermont. 



