AMERICAN ASH-TREE. 
391 
having 
broader 
eies from which circumstance, it lias been called by some botanists, Prasinus 
discolor. 1 he flowers, which put forth in the month of May, arc of a Light-green 
colour and are succeeded by keys about an inch and a half in length cylindrical 
near the basu, and gradually flattened into a wing-like form, with their extremi- 
ties slightly notched. They are usually united in bunches, four or five inches 
long, and are ripe early in autumn. 
Varieties. For reasons stated in our remarks at the commencement of this 
genus, we have considered all the alleged species of the American ash, only as 
varieties, which will be found to be no more numerous than those of the Euro- 
pean species; and not half so much so as those of the Quercus cerris, ilex and 
other species of oak, of which very little notice is taken, because they cannot be 
readily propagated by grafting. The variations in the American ash may be 
characterized as follows; but those who differ from us in opinion will find no dif- 
ficulty in recognizing their names as given by Michaux, Loudon, and others, and 
will thus be enabled to know under what head they are described in the works 
of these authors : 
1. F. a. latifolia, Loudon. Broad-leaved American Ash, 
leaves than the species. 
2. F. a. pubescens. Pubescent American Ash ; Fraxinus tomentosa, of Michaux ; 
Fraxinus pubescens, of Don, Loudon, and others; Frene pubescent, Frene rouge, 
of the French ; Red Ash, of the Anglo-Ameri- 
cans. This variety is a beautiful tree, some- 
times attaining a height of sixty feet, with a 
trunk fifteen or eighteen inches in diameter. 
The bark of the trunk is of a deep-brown ; and 
the wood, which is of a reddish hue, is some- 
what harder, but less elastic, than that of the 
white ash, and is applied to similar uses in the 
arts. It is inferior to that tree, both in size, 
and in the rapidity of its growth ; the length 
of the annual shoots, and the distances between 
the buds being only about one half as great. 
The leaves are from twelve to fifteen inches 
>ong, and are composed of three or four pairs 
.of very acuminate leaflets, terminated by an 
odd one. The lower surface of the leaflets, as 
well as the shoots of the same season, are cov- 
ered with a thick down, which, on insulated 
trees, at the approach of autumn, becomes red, 
whence, probably, is derived the name of the tree ; but by others it is thought 
to be derived from the reddish colour of its wood. The flowers, which put forth 
in May, are succeeded by samarae similar in form and arrangement to those (if the 
white ash, but differing from them in being not quite so long, and in having a 
short mucro at the apex. This variety is most abundant in Pennsylvania, Mary- 
land, and Virginia; where it prefers swamps and places frequently inundated, or 
liable to be covered with water by copious rains. In these, situations, n is 
accompanied by the shell-bark hickory, (Carya alba.) bitter-nut hickory, (Carya 
amara,) swamp white oak, (Quercus prinus discolor,) red maple, ( Leer nihruin.) 
sweet gum, (Liquidambar styraciflna,) and the tupelo-tree (Nyssa biflora.J 
This variety was introduced into Britain in L811, where it can only he consid- 
ered as an ornamental tree. 
3. F. a. sub-pubescens. Slightly-pubescent American Ash, having its leaflets 
petiolate, elliptic-oblong, acuminated, sharply serrated, downy beneath, with the 
common petioles glabrous. 
