48 



attained. It comes into leaf in May, and flowers 

 a few weeks later. 



The wood of the mountain ash is not of 

 much value. As an ornamental tree, its loose 

 branching head, its tender leaves, and its large 

 white blossoms, developing into bunches of red 

 berries, make it a charming little objeft. A 

 further advantage that it possesses is the attrac- 

 tion of its berries to our song birds. It is no 

 doubt on this account that it received its botanic 

 name, aiiciiparia, aiiccps being the Latin word for 

 a fowler. 



The sub-genus Sorbits, to which it belongs, 

 comprises a small group of trees, and also in- 

 cludes the white beam tree and the service tree. 

 A distinctive feature is that they exhibit small 

 individual flowers crowded into nearly flat corymbs 

 of white blossoms. The white beam tree, P. aria, 

 is the other indigenous species of this section. It 

 closely resembles the mountain ash, but may be 

 readily recognised by its leaves, which are ovate 

 and entire, and covered beneath with white down, 

 and by the larger size of its berries. 



The mountain ash is known as the Rowan tree 

 in Scotland, and the Witchen tree in Wales. 

 Formerly it was held in great reverence as a 

 protection against witchcraft. 



