214 ARBORETUM AND FRUTICETUM. PART III, 
Schkuhr Handb., t. 375. ; Lam, Il, t.858.; Gaertn. Fruct., 1. t. 39. ; Lindl. Nat. Syst., Bot., p. 308. ; 
Don’s Mill., 4. p. 53. 
Synonymes. Fréne, Fr. ; Esche, Ger. 
Derivation. The derivation of /’raxinus given in Don’s Miller is, from phrasso, to enclose; the ash 
having been formerly used for making hedges. Linnzus derives it from phrazis, a separation, be- 
cause the wood splits easily. Others derive it from frangitur, because the young branches are easily 
broken ; or which may have been applied ironically, in allusion to the extreme toughness of the old 
wood. None of these derivations, however, appears very satisfactory. The English name of ash 
may be derived either from the Saxon word ese, a pike; or from the colour of the bark of the 
trunk and branches, which resembles that of wood ashes, 
Gen. Char., §c. Flowers polygamous. Calyx none, or 4-parted, or 4-toothed. 
Corolla none. Stamens 2, in the male flowers. Anthers sessile, or on short 
filaments, dehiscing outwardly. Female flowers the same, except that they 
have no stamens, but have each a pistil, that has a bifid stigma. Fruit, 
or samara, 2-celled, compressed, winged at top. Cells 1-seeded. (Don’s 
Mill., iv. p. 53.)—Deciduous trees, with opposite, impari-pinnate, rarely 
simple leaves ; and lateral racemes of greenish yellow flowers. Natives 
of Europe, the north of Africa, part of Asia, and of North America. 
The species are raised from seeds; and the varieties chiefly by grafting 
on Fraxinus excélsior, but partly also from seeds. There is a great 
tendency in all the species to sport into varieties; and many of what 
are by botanists described as species are, in our opinion, not entitled 
to that distinction. In the neighbourhood of Edinburgh, on the banks 
of the Esk, more especially on the estate of Dalhousie, we are in- 
formed that the ash is indigenous over several acres of steep rocky de- 
clivities bordering the river, and that many very distinct varieties may 
there be collected. The American ash seems as prolific in varieties as the 
European species ; and some of these varieties, which by botanists are 
treated as species, generally come true from seed; a circumstance no 
more surprising than that particular varieties of fruit trees should fre- 
quently come nearly as true to the parent variety, as the seedlings of 
species come true to species. All the ashes are of easy culture in good 
soil, and in a sheltered situation. The general price of the American 
plants is from 1s. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per plant ; and seeds may be obtained of six 
or seven of the sorts at 4d. per quart. 
A. Leaflets broad, smooth or shining on the upper surface. Natives 
of Europe. 
¥ 1. F. exce’tsior L. The taller, or common, Ash. 
Identification. Lin. Sp., p. 1509. ; Willd. Sp., 4. p. 1099. ; Don’s Mill., 4. p.53.; Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836. 
Synonymes. F. apétala Lam. Fl. Fr., Lam. Iil., t. 858. f.1.; F. rostrata Guss. Fl. Rar., p. 374.5; F. 
O’rnus Scop. Carn., No. 1249.; F. erdsa Pers.; F. crispa Bosc ; le Frene, Fr. ; Aesche or Esche, 
Ger. and Dutch; Ask, Dan. and Swed. ; Frassino, Ital.; Fresno, Span. ; Freixo, Port.; Jas, 
Jasen, or Jassen, Russ.; Mse, Saz. 
Engravings. Fi. Dan., t.969.; Smith Eng. Bot., t. 1692. ; Svensk. Bot., 175.; Lam. Il1., t. 858. f. 1. ; 
Blackw., t. 328. ; Dodon. Pempt., 771.; Lob. Icon., 2, p. 107. f£.2.; our jig. 1044. ; and the plates in 
our last Volume. 
Spec. Char.,§c. leaflets almost sessile, lanceolate-oblong, acuminate, ser- 
rated, cuneated at the base. Flowers naked. Samara obliquely emarginate 
at the apex. The leaves have generally 5 pairs of leaflets, but sometimes 6. 
The flowers are produced in loose spikes, from the sides of the branches. 
On some there are only female flowers; on others hermaphrodite ones ; 
and on others male ones; while on some trees the flowers are found in two 
of these states, or in all of them. (Don’s Mill., iv. p. 53.) A tree, from 
30 ft. to 80 ft. high, flowering in March and April, before the leaves appear. 
Varieties. These are-very numerous; but we shall give chiefly those which 
are allowed to be varieties by botanists, and are described as such in Don’s 
Miller, or in our Hortus Britannicus ; afterwards indicating those which 
are treated by botanists as species, and which we have accordingly kept 
distinct, but which we are decidedly of opinion are nothing more than 
varieties. 
* F. ec. 2 péndula Ait. Hort. Kew, ed. 2., vol. v. p.475., Lodd. Cat., ed. 
1836; Fréne Parasol, Fr.; and the plate in our last Volume. 
The pendulous, or weeping, Ash. — Branches pendulous. This sin- 
