Genus FRAXINUS, Tourn. 
Oleaceae. Polygamia Dioccia. 
Syst. Nat. SyH . Lin . 
Synonymes. 
Fraxinus, Of Authors. 
Frene, Fresne, France. 
Esche, Germany. 
Frassino, Italy. 
Fresno, Spain. 
Freixo, Portugal. 
Jas, Jasen, Russia. 
Ash, Britain and Anglo- America. 
Dtrivations. The derivation of Fraxinus, given by Don, in Miller's Dictionary, is from the Greek phrassd, to enclose; the 
ash having been formerly used for making hedges. Linnseus derives it from the Greek phraris, a separation ; because the wood 
splits easily. Others derive it from the Latin frangitur, because the young branches are easily broken; or which may have 
been applied ironically, in allusion to the extreme toughness of the wood. The English name Ask, may be derived either 
from the Saxon word asc, a pike ; or from the colour of the bark of the trunk and branches, which resembles that of wood-ashes. 
Generic Characters. Flowers polygamous. Calyx none, or 4-parted, or 4-toothed. Corolla none. Sta- 
mens 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, Miller's Diet 
HE genus Fraxinus consists of deciduous trees, with opposite, 
impari-pinnate, rarely simple leaves, and lateral racemes of green- 
(X\ ish-yellow flowers : and natives of Europe, northern Africa, a part 
of Asia, and of North America. They are raised from seeds, or 
by grafting on the Fraxinus excelsior. In all the species, there is 
a great tendency to sport into varieties ; and most of those which 
are described by botanists as species, do not appear to be entitled to that distinc- 
tion. Indeed, with two or three exceptions, the trees belonging to this genus bear 
so close a resemblance to each other, when young, that it is difficult to deter- 
mine which are species and which are varieties ; and, in pursuance of the idea 
advanced by Mr. Loudon, that, "no plant can be truly a species, th.it is n.jt 
readily distinguished from every other, in every stage of its growth, and at every 
season of the year," we are inclined to believe that there are no more than two 
species of ash hitherto discovered, either in Europe or America, viz. : Fraxinus 
excelsior, and americana. We have accordingly, for the sake of brevity, and 
convenience of classification, brought them all under these two heads, and have 
considered them only as varieties. Those, however, who differ from us in opin- 
ion, will find no difficulty in recognizing among our synonymes, the names as 
given by Michaux, Don, Loudon, and others, and will be enabled to know under 
what head they are described in the works of these authors. 
